Kiss Me Slowly
by Keybearer001
Summary: Elsa was in a loving relationship. She was engaged to be married. That was yesterday… Today she was crying because he was with another woman… It was all her fault.
1. Chapter 1

Elsa sat at the window, the soft light of the moon shining through the windows of her small apartment. The city lights were dancing as the night went on, cars passing by without a care in the world. Yet with all the time gone by, Elsa had yet to feel at ease with the one thing she was missing tonight.

Elsa's life had not been an easy one. It was a wonder how she had even managed to get here of all places. Being born in a fairly wealthy family had its perks, but it was all destroyed when as a child, her parents had been killed in a car crash while on there way to visit their mothers sister. Elsa had cried for days, no weeks following the tragic accident and hardly ever spoke to anyone after that. Even as a teenager and an adult, she avoided talking to anyone, even her younger sister Anna.

Anna… Sweet Anna. Though only several years younger, Anna was always childish, but had a vivacity all her that always put a smile on Elsa's face. Anna had always been the optimist, the one that could lift the mood no matter what happened. Despite this Anna never ceased to end up in trouble. Not big mind you, but still, being Anna meant that no matter where you were something was bound to go wrong.

Several years ago, Anna had met a businessman by the name of Hans Westerguard. She had immediately been smitten with him and pursued him. Elsa had tried to stop this; being the older sister that she was, Elsa wanted to protect her. Elsa had not liked Hans when Anna first brought him home. He seemed nice enough, but was pompous and chauvinistic, going on about how his twelve brothers (Elsa wondered why anyone thought THAT had been a good idea) could never be a match for him.

Not long after that. Anna had found him cheating on her with some… well Anna and Elsa didn't want to think about that girl again. Anna had punched Hans, breaking his nose(and his ego). Following that Anna had packed up and moved out of the city opting to get as far away from Hans as possible. As a result while at the airport, she met another man by the name of Kristoff Bjorgman. She had just gotten off her flight and was out the door waiting for a cab when a huge dog suddenly tackled her to the ground. Anna hadn't minded this, for she loved dogs. Kristoff had managed to get Sven, as Anna would later find out off of her. Anna had laughed and asked Kristoff out for coffee as a way to get him to apologize. One thing led to another and eventually the two were engaged.

Elsa had met Kristoff some weeks after Anna first met him. Unlike Hans, she did approve of him. Anna had been so excited when Kristoff asked her to marry him. She had ranted happily about it to Elsa for hours on the phone. Elsa could still remember that day as clear as the day it happened

_Elsa had been having a good day at work. Working as a ice rink skater was fun, most definitely fun, but she was exhausted. Her muscles ached and practically screamed for a soothing massage._

_Stretching slightly, Elsa marveled at how she managed to do this every night. True she didn't need to, because of her inheritance, but who wanted to laze the day away?_

_Elsa walked to her bathroom closing the door and started running some hot water. Rather than shower, she decided to soak in a bath. She peeled of her cloths and lowered herself in the water. Her muscles felt so much better. Elsa grabbed the shampoo bottle and rubbed it on her head and moved down to the rest of her body._

_Afterwards Elsa simply sat there, contemplating her life. She was 27, out in the world, with a great job and a loving sister who was dating a nice young man. what more could she need?_

_Elsa sighed, stepping out of the tub and grabbing a robe and towel donning the robe and wrapping the towel around her head. Just as she stepped out of the door, her phone rang. Elsa immediately ran to see who it was. According to the caller ID, it was Anna. Why would Anna call her at this late hour? Pressing the talk button Elsa spoke into the phone. "Anna."_

_Elsa had to move the phone away from her ear, because the net moment, Anna was screaming in excitement. "Elsa! Elsa! He did it he finally did it! he proposed!"_

_Elsa felt her mouth drop open. Her eyes began shining with awe. "He did!" she squealed. Anna her dear sweet baby sister was getting married. Elsa could not believe it. _

_"I know. He took me out to dinner, and was like totally nervous the entire time, but then, the chocolate cake came and instead of a cherry, there was a diamond ring!" Anna cried happily. Elsa felt herself choke as tears of happiness began to leak out of her eyes. "Oh Anna I'm so happy for you! Whens the big day?"_

_"next spring!" Anna cried. "I've got to go plan the wedding!" Anna continued to talk for hours as Elsa would later find out. They would talk about everything they could, until Anna inexplicably fell asleep in the middle of a sentence. Elsa had laughed and hung up, deciding to let her sleep. She needed some herself._

That had been a year ago. Yet Elsa never forgot that moment. The emotions she felt. It was a wonderful feeling.

Anna and Kristoff were married for about three months now. Elsa was happy for them and hoped the two would have a happy life together. She only hoped Anna wouldn't have a child too quickly though. Anna, despite working at a daycare and cared deeply for children, was still young only 25. Elsa knew that she would make a great mother, but wanted Anna to grow up a bit first.

Elsa sighed watching the lights go by once again. It never ceased to amaze her that the city had such life in it. It was beautiful.

Suddenly she felt hands wrap around her waist. Elsa squealed, frightened by the sudden intrusion. The intruder pulled Elsa close, but then proceeded to place tender kisses down her neck.

"evening snowflake." Said the warm soft voice of her boyfriend. Elsa simply moaned in response loving the feeling of his lips on her neck. She then turned and placed a kiss on his lips. He returned it, kissing her passionately.

Elsa pulled back a glower on her face "I didn't hear you come in" she said.

Joseph simply gave her a smile "you were too busy day dreaming about something to notice." He responded.

Elsa laughed and slapped his arm. "I missed you tonight" she said her voice low and husky.

Joseph grinned suggestively "the night is still young…"

Elsa wondered out of all the men she could have ended up with it had to be Joseph. They had met about 5 months ago while she was out with Anna and Rapunzel. In fact, Rapunzel was how they had even met!

_Elsa Anna and Rapunzel were in a coffee shop, drinking some hot chocolate. Despite being relatively early in March, it was still pretty cold out so the girls had decided to go out for something to drink. Anna's wedding was not to far off, so it was also a way for them to tease each other about it._

_Rapunzel, Elsa's cousin had married some months before, so she was happy to give Anna some pointers about the wedding. Anna on the other hand was more interested in finding Elsa a boyfriend._

_Not that Elsa was against the idea, but she wasn't interested. Sure she had had several men pursue her, but she was more focused on her life. There had been one time Anna had set Elsa up on a blind date. While the guy was nice, he was immature and tried multiple times to show it, not in any bad way, but Elsa wasn't interested in a guy like that._

_They took one last sip of their hot chocolate. Rapunzel sighed, enjoying the warm drink. Setting down the mug she said "I think we need another."_

_Anna laughed "I agree, its far to cold out."_

_Elsa smiled "one last cup before we turn in then."_

_Rapunzel got up and went to the line to order another drink. As soon as she was gone Anna immediately went into matchmaker mode._

_"come on Elsa. You have to at least tell me if there is someone that your interested in." Anna whined_

_Elsa frowned. She gave her sister a cold stare "Anna, you're the one getting married. I'm not. If there was someone I as interested in I would tell you, but after that last guy you tried to set me up with…" she stopped because at that moment Rapunzel squealed _

_"oh my god Joseph is that you! Its been years!" the two woman turned to see Rapunzel hugging a young man. To their surprise, he was hugging back. Rapunzel pulled away, jumping with excitement. "when did you get into town?" she asked_

_Joseph laughed, "last week." he said 'I'm surprised to see you here I thought you were still back home."_

_Rapunzel gave him a grin "I am I'm just visiting my cousins. Oh! You should meet them!" she grabbed Joseph's hand a proceeded to drag him over to the table._

_Elsa stared at the young man. He was taller than her, with a slim build, yet muscular. His hair was short and brown. His eyes were green and full. Elsa felt herself blush. He was quite handsome. Anna must have noticed her blush, because Elsa heard Anna cat call._

_Rapunzel finally arrived with Joseph "guys this is Joseph, we went to school together." That surprised both Anna and Elsa. They had been to Rapunzel's home town and not once did she ever mention him._

_Joseph reached out his hand. "Joseph" Anna shook his hand first "I'm Anna"_

_Joseph smiled then turned to Elsa. To her surprise, his cheeks reddened slightly as she grasped his hand. She felt a jolt as their fingers touched. Elsa pulled back slightly "Elsa" she whispered._

_Joseph smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you"_

Needless to say not long after that, Elsa was surprised to hear from him again. one night she was walking home. It was particularly late and she had been unable to find a cab so she resorted to walking home.

_She heard footsteps behind her. Fear and adrenaline hit her as she turned expecting to see some mugger. But to her surprise it was Joseph, looking quite tired, but he had a smile on his face._

_"Elsa!" he said. Elsa sighed in relief "Joseph you scared me." She said_

_"sorry.." Joseph said sheepishly. "I was walking home and I noticed you were alone. I was worried."_

_Elsa colored slightly. With a sigh she said "well your welcome to walk me home" she said. Elsa gasped realizing what she had just said. Joseph however simply nodded._

_The two walked on, silent until Joseph suddenly stopped and pulled Elsa close. Elsa was about to protest, when he slapped a hand on her mouth. "shh…"_

_Elsa ripped his hand off her mouth "what is it?"_

_Suddenly out of the shadows came a man in a mask. He was carrying a dagger and was looking at the pair with leering eyes. "well well, what do we have here?" he said_

_Elsa gasped and clung to Joseph. She had never been in this situation. She felt vulnerable, scared. She was going to be mugged… or worse…._

_"get out of here…." Joseph whispered to Elsa pushing her back. Elsa refused, not wanting to leave him to die. True she didn't know him, at least not very well, they had only once several days ago, but she would never forgive herself if he died while she ran._

_"no!" she whispered harshly. Joseph however pushed her away harder "Run!" he screamed as the man lunged at them. Elsa ran in the opposite direction, hearing the sounds of bones breaking and the mugger screaming. Elsa ran behind a wall trying to catch her breath. She could hear Joseph and the mugger fighting. _

_She stayed there for a few minutes, hearing the mugger screaming in pain and suddenly heard a sickening snap, followed by a gargled cry before all was silent. At least it was until a crack rang out and she heard Joseph scream._

_"no!" Elsa whispered and ran back towards the street. The sight that met her eyes was horrifying. _

_Joseph was lying on his back holding his right knee. Blood was gushing from the wound. Standing over him was the mugger, gun in hand as ready to fire. The dagger that he had was on the ground. Elsa also noticed that his arm was hanging limply at his side. Joseph must have broken it, then the mugger pulled out his gun. _

_Elsa stopped, noticing a piece of wood on the ground. Picking it up, she crept silently towards the mugger. Raising the wood she slammed it into his head. The mugger stumbled to the side clutching his wounded head, before smacking his head into the wall and he fell to the ground unconscious._

_Elsa then turned to Joseph who was clutching his knee "Elsa!" he choked as he held his wounded knee. Elsa ran toward her friend, taking off her jacket and wrapping it around his wounded knee._

Later that night, they would find out that the bullet shattered his kneecap, leaving him with a permanent limp in his right leg. Elsa felt so guilty for this but Joseph assured her that it hadn't been her fault. Elsa had spent the night at the hospital, refusing to leave until he did. Following that night, one could say that they were dating. They spent every night together after that, drinking some hot chocolate at the same diner they met.

Joseph originally wasn't planning on going to the wedding, but Rapunzel had talked him into it, leaving him to cancel some business meetings (he was the CEO of a business conglomerate) just to make Anna happy.

At the wedding, Elsa had been surprised to see him (Anna would tease them about it) but was happy nonetheless. After Anna and Kristoff tied the knot, Elsa had invited him over to her place for some quiet time. Needless to say, it wasn't.

Anna never knew about that night, but she knew something was going on between them and wasn't surprised when Elsa had called her later on saying that Joseph was her boyfriend.

Not long after that, Elsa had moved in with him. Despite being wealthy, the two had a more modest mindset of living. Though that didn't stop Joseph from spoiling her every now and then one night he had taken her to a rather popular dancing place. By dance, one really meant Anna's slow dance. The surprise though was that it was empty and they had danced a very peculiar way.

_Dressed in a very beautiful light blue dress, Elsa had her arms around her lover as he waltzed around the empty ice rink. Yes Joseph had made her dress up very nicely, only now she was wearing boots as they danced around the lightly lit floor._

_Elsa suddenly stumbled, but before she could fall Joseph pulled her close._

_"woah Elsa I thought you said you could skate!" he said lightly. Elsa glared at him "if you think I can't skate watch and learn!" she trudged over to the nearby skates and slipped off her boots, before putting on her skates._

_Without missing a beat, she began gliding across the rink, Joseph watching with awe at the way she glided across the ice._

Joseph had tried to follow by example but failed miserably. He vowed never to go skating again. Elsa did not mind, for she knew that wasn't the only thing that they could do together.

Elsa simply continued to stare at her lover, wondering about all the things that had happened between them. All that could happen. She had never been one for dating, but that had gone out the window.

Joseph simply smiled at Elsa. He turned towards the window and opened it, letting in the soft moonlight. Elsa despite being covered wrapped her nightgown tighter around her.

To her surprise Joseph appeared to be nervous as he turned to her. He then walked behind her so that the moonlight was shining down on her. He then bent down on one knee, pulling a box out of his pocket.

Elsa felt her heartbeat quicken. Was he?

"Elsa. These past few months have been among the happiest of my life. I know that because you, the most wonderful, most gentle woman I have ever known have made me feel this way. So I ask you…. Will you marry me?" Joseph opened the box revealing a light cyan stone on a silver band.

Elsa felt tears leak from her eyes her breath catching in her throat as she tried to answer. "y-yes" she gasped, allowing Joseph to slip the ring onto her finger. She stared at the ring, marveling at its beauty, before leaping off the seat and tackling Joseph to the ground. "yes I will marry you!"

Elsa then claimed his mouth, exploring every of his mouth and body. She moaned as Joseph's hands explored her own body. "I am yours." Joseph whispered. "I love you, Elsa" Joseph said. Elsa continued to kiss him "I love you too Joseph." She whispered

Elsa grabbed Joseph's hands, pulling him into a sitting position. She then pulled him to his feet and proceeded to lead him into their shared bedroom, closing the door behind them


	2. Chapter 2

The morning sunlight streamed in the bedroom windows that Saturday morning. Lying in bed were two very exhausted lovers. Elsa was draped over Joseph using him as a pillow, while Joseph had an arm wrapped around her back. Elsa was snuggling against his warm muscular chest. Last night had been one of the best of their lives.

Joseph was the first to wake up. Moaning slightly, he opened his eyes, groaning at the harsh sunlight. As his eyes adjusted however, they landed on his platinum blond hair blue eyes girlfriend. No, not girlfriend, fiancée he reminded himself.

She looked so calm, so peaceful as she continued to sleep, oblivious to the fact that she was being admired. Joseph had to resist a chuckle. Elsa must have been really tired after last night.

Joseph blushed slightly remembering the first time they had ever been intimate. Elsa had been the one to initiate the relationship. On Anna's wedding night even. 'funny, I wasn't even planning on going in the first place.' He reminisced

_It was just another day at the office. Joseph had to deal with several rather snobby businessmen who wanted a corporate merger, just for the sake of making more money. Joseph however was adamant that he would not do that, mainly because the company had been in his original employers family for generations._

_When he had first arrived at the company, his employer noticed that Joseph was a hard worker and saw the best in every decision he would make. He took Joseph as an apprentice showing him the ropes and eventually, Joseph was set to inherit the company should anything happen to his employer._

_That came sooner than expected when the employer died of a heart attack. Joseph 21 at the time had inherited the company, becoming the CEO. Though young and fresh out of the army at the time, Joseph proved an able businessman._

_After dealing with his (not) potential partners. Joseph had grumpily headed back to his office, ready to pack up and leave, simply because he knew his old friend, the President of the Company would be able to handle the rest of the day without him. as he was about to walk out of his office door, his intercom buzzed. "um sir… you have a call on line one."_

_Ah, the secretary. Best thing for the office, worst thing for the time. Walking back to his desk he slammed the button and hissed into the speaker "who is it?" he growled_

_"Rapunzel sir. Rapunzel Fitzherbert." His secretary responded_

_Rapunzel? Why would she be calling him? Sure they had been friends back in high school, but after they both left for college they had never seen or heard from each other until several weeks ago. Not that it was her fault. Joseph sighed and picked up the phone. "Rapunzel" he said_

_"Joseph, oh thank god I caught you. Listen we have a major problem." She told him_

_Joseph was surprised by Rapunzel's attitude. She sounded very distressed. That was odd. Usually she was as happy as anyone could be._

_"what?" Joseph asked, curious about his old friend._

_Rapunzel was silent for a moment. The tension was so thick, Rapunzel could have cut her hair in the time she was silent. Joseph on the other hand was suddenly beginning to wonder if Rapunzel was going to ask a rather big, or odd favor._

_"well um, Joseph, my cousin Elsa doesn't have a date for the wedding." Rapunzel mumbled sheepishly. Joseph's eyes widened and he nearly dropped the phone. "Da-Date!" he yelped in surprise. He had only met Elsa once. When he ran into Rapunzel at the coffee shop. He blushed as he remembered her outstanding blue eyes. However getting himself together, he said "Rapunzel I don't even know Elsa. We hardly spoke a word at the coffee shop."_

_Rapunzel sighed heavily on the other end "Joseph listen I know its short notice, but Anna really wants Elsa to be happy. Besides I saw the way you were looking at her."_

_Joseph felt himself blush, knowing Rapunzel was right. Though he and Elsa had barely spoken to one another, he had spent several moments simply catching a glimpse at her face._

_She was breathtakingly beautiful, with her platinum blond hair in a braid, cascading down her shoulder. She had been wearing a white shirt with a teal blue jacket. Her face was pale, her pale lips in a slight pout, though she smiled ever so slightly when she made eye contact with him._

_Needless to say, he was attracted to her._

_He could already imagine Rapunzel giving him a puppy dogface. "Please…" she whispered, a slight quiver in her voice._

_Joseph sighed "when?"_

_Rapunzel squealed in happiness "in 30 days, so get yourself ready mister! And don't tell Elsa! Its supposed to be a surprise" without another word she hung up._

Leave it to Rapunzel to call someone so far in advance that you had that much time to get affairs in order. Joseph had to cancel his business meetings during that week; the President wasn't happy about that, but decided to give Joseph a vacation when he heard about Anna's wedding. Joseph decided to do so, not expecting what he had gotten at all.

Until then though, business went as usual. Nothing much happened until the night he met with Elsa again the night they were almost mugged.

Eyes darkening, Joseph moved his leg slightly. The wound had healed some time ago, but it was different now. The limp was not a fatal loss. It had brought him and Elsa together.

_Joseph was lying on the ground, Elsa having wrapped his wounded knee with her jacket. The pain had been unbearable, but Elsa's quick thinking had stopped the bleeding. Elsa was now on her cell phone calling an ambulance._

_"yes!" Elsa was practically screaming into her phone. She had spent the last few minutes on the phone. First they had asked what her emergency was, then where she was. However, despite Elsa giving them a clear description of the location, it seemed that the signal was terrible where they were, so she had to repeat or correct whatever the operator was saying on the other end of the line. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Elsa hung up the phone and turned to Joseph._

_Joseph looked at her face. tears were running down her face and she was hyperventilating, clearly this had been a terrible ordeal for her. Of course who could say otherwise. Potentially being attacked at night was a risk for those who walked at night. Had Joseph not been here, there was no telling whether or not Elsa would even be alive at this point._

_Despite the pain, Joseph managed a smile. "you didn't run…" he rasped. Elsa only glared at him. "if I had you would have been dead by now." She managed to say. She continued to hyperventilate._

_Joseph smiled. She was right. They had saved each others lives tonight. They barely knew each other, and they had managed to save each others lives. You can't say that happened often._

_He turned his head, hearing the sound of the ambulance coming closer. Elsa noticed as well, and she tried calming down, but it wasn't going to be easy. For crying out loud, she had almost been mugged, heard her savior get shot and whacked the assailant with wood. Tell me that was going to be something to get over quickly._

_Finally after what seemed like ages, the ambulance pulled but, lights and sounds blaring angrily. Out of the back came several paramedics with a gurney, the quickly came to Josephs side, gently lifting him up by his legs and arms, carefully not to cause him any pain. They managed to get him on a gurney and remove Elsa's now blood soaked jacket. They shoved it in a bag (Elsa would later tell them to burn it) and asked Elsa if she wanted to ride in the back with him._

_She had accepted of course and stayed by his side the rest of the night._

Joseph smiled wondering just what made Elsa stay with him. At the hospital, he knew it was guilt, but she hadn't shot him, nor was it her fault. Never at any point did he blame her for the limp he now carried. It had happened there was no need to worry about it.

Afterwards however, he didn't understand. After he had gotten through surgery, he had been surprised to see Elsa in the waiting room. He would have thought she'd had gone home.

She didn't however and he could remember that next morning as well. He was touched by her inherent caring of him, because it made him fall in love with her even more. He was eternally grateful for that.

_Joseph awoke the next morning, his leg still strapped by the wires and wrapped in a cast. Great… though in actuality, it hadn't been that bad. The doctors told him that he would be able to leave potential the next morning after surgery. That was good. With a sigh he snuggled into his pillows, but as he did so he was shocked at by who had already buried her head into them._

_Elsa was leaning forward her head inches from his, snoring lightly. She looked like she had slept there. She rally had vowed to watch over him all night hadn't she? Still that didn't seem like a very comfortable position._

_Resisting the urge to stroke her head, Joseph turned his attention to his leg. The bullet had been removed, but the damage was done. He would carry a limp. 'but if I hadn't… Elsa might have suffered a worse fate.'_

_He sighed heavily staring at the ceiling. The white walls were calming, like snow. Joseph never thought that he would ever end up in a hospital room. Yet here was._

_Elsa began stirring. With a slight moan she lifted her head and stretched. "ohhh" she gasped as realized where she was. She colored slightly, for she was very close to Joseph. However when her eyes landed on his leg, her smile faded "your leg… "_

_Joseph simply shrugged "I'm just glad that its still there." He told her_

Following that day, Elsa had been by his side. Unlike Elsa who had spent most of her life as a recluse, Joseph was more of a socialite (being a business man had its moments), though he tried to get away from it as much as he could. Woman trying shamelessly to seduce you everyday wasn't terrible, but the last thing he wanted was to be slandered as a playboy.

Most of the woman, of those that he had dated, were models who were simply after him for his charms and money. Naturally, this was not something he wanted in a wife and he promptly broke it off with them as soon as he found out the truth behind them wanting to be with him

Thankfully him dating Elsa had managed to put an end to the long list of woman trying to seduce him. of course some tried to take advantage being ditzy, but he never faltered.

The more time Joseph spent with Elsa, the more time he came to realize that she was the one for him. she was kind, sweet, gentle, and cared about those in her life.

At Anna's wedding he noticed just how close the two sisters were and he wondered just how Elsa and Anna turned out so differently despite their extreme closeness and similar habits.

As a child he didn't have many close friends, mainly because his family spent most of the time traveling. He had lived most of his life in Europe, though he had also been as far as Oceania at times. Despite this his family eventually settled down in he United States by the time he was 13 and he finally began to have a life outside of traveling all of the time.

It wasn't long after that that he had met Rapunzel for the first time.

_Joseph was walking down the street. He was exploring the town that his family had settled in. the air was warm, the wind was breezing and for once in his life he could finally be in a place that he could call home._

_It was odd that he could even say that. Of course always being uprooted every few months tended to do that to you._

_As he turned down another street, he heard something. It sounded like… crying? He walked down the street and turned another corner to find a young girl in a purple dress crying, her shoulders shaking with every sob._

_Joseph hesitantly approached her. He had never had to deal with crying woman before. "hey" he called softly to the crying girl. The girl looked up startled by the sudden appearance of a stranger._

_Despite the tears and redness on her face, Joseph had to admit that this girl was very beautiful. She had a very nice skin tone, green eyes that were huge and so similar to his own and long golden hair that was the equivalent of staring at the sun._

_The girl suddenly shrieked and grabbed her purse, throwing it at him. Joseph effortlessly caught the bag and calmly held it. "any reason you want to kill me?"_

_This time the girl stared at him "I'm sorry" she mumbled "I thought you were some kind of ruffian" she said a blush spreading across her cheeks._

_Joseph chuckled "Ruffian? You don't get out much do you?" he joked. But to his surprise, the girl looked down, more tears leaking down her face "no. I don't"_

_Joseph was generally surprised by this response. However he didn't ask why this was. Instead he placed the purse down next to the girl and bent down, taking her hand in his._

_"hey whats your name?" he asked. The girl looked at him a moment before mumbling "Rapunzel"_

_Joseph gave her a smile "My name is Joseph" he replied. "tell me do you like ice cream?" he asked her_

_Rapunzel gave him a large grin "Like it? I love it!" she cried._

_She then proceeded to drag Joseph to the nearest ice cream shop (since Joseph was new in town he honestly had no idea where they were going) but they ended up have a great time._

The two had been best of friends ever since. It would be a few months later that Joseph would find out that Rapunzel had been with her abusive nanny at the time and that she had hit Rapunzel, leaving the girl to run off.

Outraged, Joseph told Rapunzel to report it to the police. Rapunzel, deciding to take the chance, reported the abuse to the police and Gothel, as he found out, was later arrested and jailed.

Following this, Rapunzel's parents started spending more time with the girl at home, rather than their own business. Rapunzel seemed very happy with this arrangement. She had a new friend, a new life and could finally be free in her life.

The two had remained together through thick and thin, taking life at its fullest. Though they never became an item, they supported each other throughout the years, until Joseph left to go to college in the military. Rapunzel on the other hand went to an art school. They hadn't seen each other for nearly a decade after that.

He worked through school, and eventually graduated, but he was discharged following this because he was not qualified for the life of a soldier. However, his time there had made him decide to seek out more in life.

Despite being 21 when he inherited the company, Joseph was hardly needed in the office at first, so he spent some years traveling again. However after that, he decided to work at the office more frequently to avoid having to leave again.

When he finally did decide to return the company, he made the most of it becoming one of the top CEO's in the world.

But none of that mattered to him. He just wanted to live life as normally as he possibly could. It had worked out pretty well so far. Joseph could not help but laugh slightly.

He continued to stare at his fiancée, marveling how she was still sleeping. She was a heavy sleeper when she wanted to be, but she was never one for being asleep for most of the day.

Joseph just laid there, not wanting to disturb Elsa until she herself woke up. After all, she did like her beauty sleep.

Elsa just continued to sleep, moaning about "chocolate" she licked her lips. Ah chocolate, one of the many things that they had in common.

He wondered just what else she was dreaming of? After all, Elsa now had to plan for the wedding. Knowing Elsa like he did, she would no doubt want it to be held in the winter. She always had a thing for snow. He liked snow, but not the cold. He was always one for the warmer weather.

That didn't matter. Elsa's happiness was the only thing he cared about. He had rarely ever seen her upset and it was not something he would ever want to cause.

Elsa rarely confided in him with her problems. He didn't mind. Elsa was a private woman, so he didn't want to make her talk if she didn't want to. If she ever did talk, it was about something major. At least major to her.

He knew Elsa had a troubled childhood, but never asked her directly about it. he didn't want to bring her any pain. Instead he was happy to make her present and future as happy as he possible could.

Joseph then sighed, snuggling back into the pillows. Closing his eyes, he felt himself relax back into sleep as he listened to the sound of Elsa's breathing.


	3. Chapter 3

Elsa awoke later that morning. With a moan she snuggled closer to Josephs chest, too tired after that passionate session to get up out of the bed. Besides it was Saturday wasn't it?

Elsa moved her head slightly, spotting her ring finger, which now held her engagement ring. The brilliant cyan stone practically glowed with its beauty. Joseph must have searched high and low for this type of ring.

Joseph was never one for 'expensive tastes'. The ring was simple, with only the cyan gem atop the silver ring. To Elsa it was the most beautiful thing in the world. of course she couldn't help but be a little biased, considering it was hers. Even Anna would have to agree on that one.

Oh god Anna! How was she supposed to break it to her little sister that she was engaged? For crying out loud Anna was practically in tears when Elsa had refused to give a blessing for Hans marriage just before they found out that he was cheating on Anna. That had been just about a few months into their relationship. Hans had treated it well at first but later that year was when Anna found out he started cheating on her.

_Anna stared shocked at Elsa. Her hands fell to her sides, unable to believe Elsa's response. Didn't she want her to happy?! But all Anna could do was stare, not able to make any sound._

_Hans was just as shocked for he did want to marry Anna. But Elsa knew him all to well. He just wanted Anna's inheritance._

_Elsa had noticed this in Hans early on. he was a smooth man. Anna would always congratulate him, but Elsa knew what he was really saying. He was a spoiled rich man who cared only about one thing. He cared nothing for anyone else. he would only use Anna for things Elsa knew was wrong_

_"no Anna you can't marry him!" Elsa told her. "I know that you have been going out for several months, but I cannot, will not bless this marriage!" she said harshly._

_Anna had always been naïve. She took Hans for the complete gentlemen, but Elsa saw all the flaws that Anna did not. Hans only saw Anna's money, and would only use her. Elsa had tried to like Hans, but found it impossible. There was absolutely nothing that could be said that would ever change her mind._

_Anna's face was on cracking, tears streaming down her face, but she kept an angry tone in her voice. "Elsa!" she screamed angrily "I'm 23! A grown woman I am capable of making my own decisions!"_

_"like the time you decided to go out partying the night before your finals senior year!" Elsa responded angrily. Why couldn't Anna see this she was rushing into this? why didn't she see Hans the way Elsa did._

_"That was years ago." Anna replied "and I still passed!" _

_Elsa sighed "I had to drag you back home to get some sleep! If I hadn't, you would have failed!" _

_Despite the situation in front of him, Hans couldn't help but give Anna a sly look. He leered at Anna, giving her a evil grin. "party huh? He huffed "perhaps—"_

_CRACK! Hans stumbled backwards clutching his cheek. Anna gasped, running to Hans, inspecting the damage. Nope not broken, but definitely bruised._

_Elsa stood there, the offending hand still in the air. Her chest was heaving and her eyes were blazing. "Hans Westerguard!" Elsa hissed angrily. Boy if Hans hadn't been scared of Elsa before, he must have been now. "if you ever try to insinuate that again… I will not hesitate to have you thrown out of this house!"_

_Anna stared at Elsa before her shoulders slumped in defeat. Clearly Elsa was not going to give her blessing. She did want to marry Hans, but not without Elsa's blessing. She would never forgive herself if it happened otherwise._

_"Hans, I think we should go." Taking, his hand, Anna trudged out of the apartment leaving Elsa alone. _

Following this Elsa and Anna refused to speak to one another for some time. Anna would call, leaving messages begging for Elsa's blessing, but Elsa would never pick up the phone. Elsa on the other hand would leave messages begging for Anna to understand her reasoning behind her refusals.

Sad to say, it seemed lie the only relationship the sisters had left was shattered completely that day.

Elsa had never forgiven herself for abandoning her sister to Hans, for it made the pain even worse when Anna had shown up at her doorstep with several bags in hand when she announced that Hans had cheated on her and was leaving the city for good.

_Elsa was just sitting down at her couch, a bowl of soup in hand, ready to just relax_ _the night away before heading to bed for the night. Taking the remote she swept through the channels, finding nothing in particular, before settling on a crime show._

_Elsa sat back on the couch taking a spoonful of soup. As she was about to take a sip, there was a frantic knocking at her door. Elsa was so startled that she nearly dropped the soup, but managed to place it on the table, before heading to her door. opening it she was surprised to find Anna, face stained with tears and several bags by her side._

_Elsa gasped at her sisters sudden appearance. Needless to say, Elsa hadn't expected Anna to just up and show up at her door one day. Even more shocking was the fact that Anna looked like she had been crying. The last time Elsa had seen Anna, she hadn't cried nearly this much. What could have happened to make Anna just show up unexpected?_

_Elsa stepped aside allowing Anna to come in. Anna trudged into the room, before collapsing on the couch. She sat as still as a statue, not even acknowledging Elsa as she brought Anna a glass of water._

_Anna took the glass, gulping heavily, before slamming it down on the table. Elsa just sat there, not sure how to respond to her sisters attitude. _Anna never got this upset. __  
__

_Anna finally opened her mouth to speak, her voice coming out in broken sobs "Ha- Hans ch-che-cheated on me!" she managed to say before finally collapsing into a fit of tears._

_Elsa didn't say a thing. She knew that this was bound to happen, but Anna just couldn't accept that. She had seen Hans as her true love and did not see that he was capable of hurting her._

_Elsa just wrapped her arms around her sister, drawing her into a hug, listening as Anna continued to cry._

_After what seemed like a while, Anna finally calmed down, her sobs finally become chocked breaths, trying to heave in large amounts of air. Her shoulders continued to heave, but all the tears and sobs were long gone._

_Elsa just continued to hold her sister unwilling to let go. She would not leave her sisters side, not this time. _

_Anna pulled back, ready to explain to her sister what had happened. she stared at Elsa a moment before starting the tale._

_"I had just gotten back from work, ready for to eat, cause I was just hungry you know…. When I hear…" Anna stopped blanching at the thought. Elsa couldn't blame her. Just hearing that had to be disgusting._

_Anna made a face of disgust, before continuing "well point is, I threw him out."_

_"if you threw him out Anna, then what are you doing here?" Elsa questioned. _

_Anna put a hurt look on her face. "you don't want me here." _

_Elsa's eyes widened. How could Anna even think that? Oh right they hadn't spoken if a while. Leave it to that to cause someone to think they were no longer welcome at a persons house_

_"Anna" Elsa told her "don't ever say that. I could never do that to you."_

_That was a lie, considering that they hadn't spoken to each other since Elsa had forbade Anna's marriage to Hans. Anna knew that Elsa was trying to protect her. She also knew now that she was right about Hans. he was nothing more than a cruel monster. At least that was how Anna saw it. _

_Elsa sighed giving Anna a small smile. "your welcome to stay with me for as long as you like."_

_Anna gave Elsa a massive grin "like a sleepover". She sounded giddy, as always. Elsa laughed "yes Anna like a sleepover!"_

_Anna squealed tackling Elsa with a hug. The two just sat there, laughing into the night._

Elsa smiled as she thought about that memory. True she had been upset that Anna had decided to leave, but in the end, it had been worth it, considering that she had met Kristoff after leaving. As long as Anna was happy and safe, Elsa would be too.

When Elsa met Kristoff she wasn't sure what to think at first. After all they had met only days after Anna had broken up with Hans. She had a great first impression of Kristoff, as his attitude seemed to run in the opposite directions as Hans, but she was worried that Anna had rushed into the relationship to soon. However the more she got to know her sisters new friend, the safer she felt. Unlike Hans, Anna took her time getting to know Kristoff, rather than immediately try and start dating him. it wasn't until later that Anna and Kristoff were officially dating.

_Elsa sat in the booth of the restaurant watching Anna chat with Kristoff. She had to admit it was pretty cute. Simply seeing Anna so happy put a smile on her face._

_Kristoff was feeding Anna some chocolates, while said sister was all but laughing at the experience. It was a wonder that she wasn't choking. But Anna had always been known for eating like a maniac so then again, this really wasn't anything new for Elsa. She only wondered how Kristoff had first handled it. if he hadn't been phased, that would have come off as a surprise._

_After finishing eating, Anna finally turned to Elsa. "see Elsa! I told you you'd have fun if you came." She smiled and passed Elsa some of the remaining chocolates that she had. Elsa took some and nibbled on it slowly._

_Kristoff turned to Anna "wow you weren't kidding when you said she acted queenly." He said with awe. Anna gave him a grin"yeah that's Elsa all right! All hail the Queen!" _

_All three of them ended up laughing._

Elsa grinned, remembering that night very fondly. She had decided then that at the very least, Kristoff would end up being a very good friend for Anna. At the time, she wasn't convinced that Anna was ready to date again.

Naturally not long after this Anna started being the matchmaker that she was, trying to get Elsa into a relationship, but this only happened that one time, and like Elsa would tell Anna later, she never wanted to try that ever again.

Elsa had always been a recluse so it was hard to get people to be her friends, let alone for her to approached them. She never thought much of it at first, so it didn't really bother her at all to be alone.

Anna had always been the more popular outgoing one but was always naïve (hence her later relationship and engagement to Hans) so Elsa had tried to protect Anna as best she could, even to over protective lengths, but what do you expect when your sister is the only one you have left in your life.

Elsa supposed this was partly the reason she had been so scared when Anna had come to her asking for her blessing. Elsa needed to make sure that Anna was going to be well cared for, and she was not confident that Hans would do that for Anna.

Not to mention, Anna's naivety and childish nature did nothing to ease Elsa's anxiety about letting her sister get married, so she did what any responsible parent did.

After their parents died Elsa and Anna lived with their maid Gerda and Kai their butler. The two raised the girls as their own, and Elsa was forever thankful to have them in her life. But despite having Kai and Gerda, Elsa acted more like Anna's parent than her sister. This was more profound as Elsa grew up. she always looked out for Anna and made sure she was ok.

However after meeting Kristoff, Anna seemed to be a little more level headed and not as naïve as before. She was still the same clumsy child that she always was, but she was far from what she was several years ago.

Elsa laughed silently, wondering what her sister was up to right now. Probably snoring the day away. It wouldn't surprise her; Anna was always one to get up late. Elsa was sure she had never even heard of the word early. It was a wonder how Anna even managed to get up early for her classes growing up, let alone for her work.

Kristoff would sure going to have his hands full, no matter what was going to happen between him and Anna.

Still, she supposed nothing could beat how shocking the situation was when Kristoff had called not long after he and Anna began dating.

_Elsa heard her phone rang. Closing the travel guidebook she had been reading, Elsa went to the kitchen to grab her phone. Picking it up, she answered _

_"hello?" she asked the person on the other end of the line._

_"hi Elsa. Its Kristoff" said the gruff voice of Kristoff Bjorgman._

_Kristoff? Why in the world would Kristoff be calling her? He never had before so it just struck Elsa as being odd. _

_"Elsa?" Kristoff asked on the other end of the line. Elsa shook her head, trying not to get Kristoff worried "hi Kristoff. I'm surprised you're calling me this morning." _

_"yeah well, I would have come, but that's a long plane ride and an even longer drive." Kristoff replied._

_Elsa knew that was true, it was a three hour trip by plane where Anna had ended up, so if Kristoff was calling her about something important, it would just be easier to do it this way._

_"So what is it you want to talk about.?" Elsa asked him, still wondering why he would be calling her._

_"Well, you know that I am dating Anna right?" Kristoff asked._

_Elsa knew that. It wasn't like this had come as a shock to her. Kristoff needed to get to the point of this. _

_"Yes" Elsa replied still not sure where Kristoff was going with this line of inquiry. Surely not going to ask Elsa to marry Anna. They hadn't been dating that long. It hadn't even been more than two months since they had started dating. Sure they had known each other for quite a bit longer, but Elsa knew that Anna wanted to take her time this time around. True Kristoff did not know the whole story behind Hans, as frankly, it wasn't any of his business, but Elsa knew Kristoff had the sense when to do something, or not to do, depending on the situation. _

_"well, I just wanted to ask if your ok with it." Kristoff said nervously. Elsa had to stop herself from laughing. Kristoff was afraid that she was going to tell him off like she had Hans. granted he did not know about that; Anna refused to speak of Hans ever again, calling him things that Elsa would not dare to repeat (and after getting a rather stern talking to from Elsa, Anna wouldn't either). Still it was rather ridiculous none the less_

_"Kristoff," Elsa began "you're a wonderful friend, and I am glad that you are taking the time to consider my feelings when it comes to Anna. To answer your question yes I am ok with you dating my sister. you are a good man and I know that you will do the right thing."_

_She heard Kristoff sigh on the other end of the line "thanks Elsa I just wanted—" however before he could continue, Elsa cut him off._

_"However I do not need to tell you that if you ever hurt her Kristoff, I will hunt you down, do you understand?" Elsa asked him._

_Clearly, Elsa had intimidated Kristoff more than she realized because he got very quiet for a few moments. All Elsa could hear was, well nothing if she was to be honest. It was quite a while before Kristoff resumed talking again._

_"yes.. well… of course." Kristoff said, not sure how to react to such a threat. "well thank you Elsa." With that Kristoff said goodbye and Elsa ended the phone call, feeling quite satisfied with herself. _

Yet in the end, all things had worked out for the best and Elsa just couldn't find the words to be any happy for Anna and Kristoff. Still it was quite a wonder how those two just managed to work out so well.

Elsa sighed once again, just wanted to rest right now. She knew that she would have to get up at some point, but why bother making it anytime soon. After all, she just got engaged to her Fiancé and just wanted to be with him for the time being.

Joseph was known for getting up before she did, but considering the events of last night, maybe he was still sleeping. Sneaking a peak at him, she saw him still napping the day away. Yeah, she still wasn't going to believe that, not even for a second.

Still, she would just rather wait. Even if he was awake or not, for now she was just content being by his side until they were both awake and ready to live today at its fullest.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok I am going to give credit where credit is due and say that this chapter was inspired by a review of ComplexStatus. So if your reading this I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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Elsa felt Joseph shift slightly. Clearly he was waking up. Slyly, Elsa leaned towards him, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. His lips captured her own and she could feel his tongue licking her lips, asking for entrance. She obliged.

Josephs hands moved down her curves, causing Elsa to shiver with excitement. Breaking the kiss she moaned slightly, before proceeding to kiss him again. Her hands played with his hair, raking through the thick locks of hair. Oh god what did she ever do to deserve this man?

Elsa broke the kiss once again this time gazing directly into Josephs eyes. She could she the love in his eyes. Not lust not desire; just pure love. Joseph leaned up to kiss Elsa once again.

Elsa however, pecked his lips, then snuggled into his neck. "good morning love." She whispered. Joseph gave her head a kiss, while running a hand down her back. "good morning snowflake." He replied.

The two just basked in the morning sun, not wanting to move or even breath. They just lied there.

Elsa sighed "Oh Joseph I can't believe this." she said, sounding very happy. "Just last night we- oh my god we're engaged!"

It was very rare that Elsa ended up becoming speechless. Usually she was very regal and precise, never missing a beat when it came to conversing with others. If she wasn't already an ice skater, she would have made a very good business women. Even so he could understand why. Just a few months ago she was watching her sister get married. Now, in just a few months she herself was going to be a married woman

Of course once they told Anna, no doubt she was going to make sure to plan the best possible wedding for Elsa ever. Elsa could already hear Anna's squeals of excitement.

Not to mention Rapunzel. As she was Elsa's cousin, no doubt she would want to be involved. Elsa just wanted to make sure that the wedding wasn't a complete extravaganza's like Anna's had been. The less of a hassle it was the better.

Joseph knew that as a CEO, his image was bound to be on the news if this leaked out. For Elsa's sake he would really just like to have a very quiet wedding filed with only friends and family. If the media so much as tried to walk through the doors, he would not hesitate to punch anyone with the offending camera. Still that would be very satisfying, if not a good idea.

Joseph kissed Elsa's head again, "well Elsa, I'm only to happy to agree with you; after all I am to one who proposed." He told her. Elsa laughed, before stretching her body, rolling off of Joseph's. "well then I guess we better get started." As Elsa was about to toss off the covers in an attempt to grab her robe and cover herself, Joseph simply grabbed her, eliciting a scream, before he covered her lips with his own.

"you know snowflake." He said "it is Saturday…" he mumbled before kissing her again "we don't have to do anything until Monday. We could just lay here all weekend."

Elsa gave him a grin "as fun as that would be… I have to tell Anna you know."

Joseph smiled releasing Elsa. She threw off the covers and grabbed her robe donning it. Turning she saw Joseph already putting on some pants and a shirt. Elsa watched him a moment, before asking "Perhaps it would be a good idea to cook pancakes this morning."

Joseph grinned "I thought the first thing you were going to do was call Anna."

Elsa scoffed "have you met my sister? if I tell her now she will be snoring halfway through the sentence; I would never get the chance to tell her until after noon."

"well you could always tell her that your baking some pancakes. She always did like your cooking."

Elsa gave him a look that said "are you serious?" before saying "if I tell her that she will be on a plane, begging me to make more for her; you know how much she likes my cooking!"

Joseph simply shrugged. "everyone likes your cooking Elsa. Its not my fault that Anna happens to be your biggest fan." He said.

Elsa gave him a glare "Anna likes my food more than you?" she said her voice playful. "that you don't like my food all that much?"

Joseph shrugged "what can I say? I just-" Elsa pounced on him knocking him to the floor, but she underestimated her Fiancé's strength and soon found herself on the floor.

Elsa stared up at him. Oh no, she knew exactly what was coming. This would not be good.

Carefully, she tried to escape, but she was pinned. Joseph had his knees at her hips and was giving her an evil smile. His fingers found her collarbone and he began tickling her viciously. Elsa squealed, desperately trying to escape the assault, but her laughter made it difficult for her to try and concentrate.

"Joseph… you… snort…. Ah… I'm... going… …to kill… you!" try as she might, Elsa could not sound menacing at all while she was reduced to this type of torture. Oh the humanity.

Joseph simply laughed, not stopping in his relentless tickle barrage. He just continued to watch as Elsa laughed.

Elsa however was not done yet and managed to get her arms free, her own hands finding Josephs shoulder blades. She pinched them, eliciting a sharp cry from him and he pulled back, giving Elsa a chance to grab him by the shirt collar and pull him down. Their lips met once again and Elsa found herself lost in the kiss this time.

They just lied there on the floor lost in their own world. At least until they heard their stomachs rumble. Joseph pulled back from the kiss. "It seems that the needs of our stomach outweigh the needs of everything else Elsa." Joseph said as he pushed himself off of her. Elsa followed suit, fixing her robe, before going to her vanity and brushing her hair.

Joseph however just stood their watching her brush her hair. He had a large grin on his face.

Deciding to tease him a little, Elsa, turned to him and said "you know if you continue to stare at me like that, we might not get to breakfast. Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

Joseph put a look of faux horror on his face "oh no! whatever shall I do. I will surely starve to death."

Elsa laughed "don't worry love. We will be eating very soon; just give me a few minutes." She told him

Joseph groaned "seriously" he said in faux annoyance "you spend way to much time at that mirror Elsa."

"Only to look my best for you love" Elsa retorted

Joseph smiled "you don't have to work hard for that, you know." He replied. Elsa blushed

"your such a charmer." She chided, before turning back to the mirror and continued to brush her hair. As she did so, she remembered the first time she had ever done this. it was after the wedding, after Anna and Kristoff came back from their week long honey moon. Joseph had called wanting to take her out on a real date.

_Elsa stood by her wardrobe, watching as Anna sifted through it, going through the large amount of cloths that Elsa never wore. Oh god was it possible for Elsa to have this many cloths?_

_Anna continued to throw nearly everything that Elsa owned out of the wardrobe, either on the floor (no) or on the bed (yes). She wanted to make sure that Elsa looked her very best for her new boyfriend._

_Elsa on the other hand was a little conflicted. Sure she knew that she should look nice, but after Anna's wedding night, well she just wasn't sure how to dress for this date right now._

_"Anna, I don't see the big deal, I don't need to get that dressed up." Elsa told her sister. "its just two friends going out."_

_Anna looked at her sister with an odd look. "Elsa you and Joseph have known each other for months, and I saw you at the wedding. You lovebirds could barely keep your eyes off one another."_

_Elsa blushed knowing that there was indeed truth behind Anna's words. But she couldn't help it. After everything that she and Joseph had been through, they had become close and developed a bond._

_Anna grinned seeing the look on Elsa's face. "yep. Your in love Elsa." She then proceeded to walk to the bed grab one of the dresses that was lying on it and tossed it to Elsa. Elsa caught it, looking at Anna_

_"well… Elsa go on and put on the dress!" Anna told her. Elsa stared at the dress, before flinging it to the floor. It was a bright red, not one of Elsa's preferred colors. It did not match her at all. _

_"no Anna, there is no way I am wearing that on my first date with him." she told Anna firmly._

_Anna groaned "but I thought that was the best one." She whined. _

_Elsa shook her head "Anna, have you even seen me wear red before?" she asked._

_Anna looked at her a moment, before sighing "no I guess not." She said, before turning back to the pile. She sifted through again this time coming up with one that was a dark purple. Sure it was made up of blue and red, but it was better than just red. "how about this one?" she asked Elsa._

_Elsa stared at the dress. Indeed it was very beautiful, and definitely more her style for a first date. Taking the dress, she walked into her bathroom. Carefully, she stripped herself of her cloths and slipped into the dress._

_Elsa had to admit that Anna had good taste. Taking a long look at herself, she couldn't help but admire how well the dress just seemed to fit her. It was breathtaking. Now she was just left to wonder if Joseph would like it. After all she was trying to impress him. _

_Still that didn't stop her from being scared about this date. It was the first she had ever been on in a long time. She had refrained from doing so ever since her last date. That had been several years ago._

_With a slight smile on her face, Elsa exited the bathroom, catching her sister's eye. Anna gave her sister a grin "wow Elsa that is just… wow."_

_Elsa waved her hand "oh please Anna, its not all that." She said_

_Anna scoffed "Elsa did you even look at yourself? Your gorgeous!" Anna told her happily._

_Elsa didn't know how to respond to that. Indeed she was beautiful. With a smile she just said "thank you Anna. For helping me out with this."_

_Anna smiled "its what sisters do Elsa, what did you expect? For me not to help you out with your love when you needed it? after all you helped me out."_

_That was true considering that if Anna hadn't left, she would never have gotten together with Kristoff and she would never have ended up married to him._

_Then of course all the planning for the wedding. Anna would never have been able to do that alone. It would have been a disaster._

_Elsa laughed before walking to her vanity and began applying some make up. she decided on some blush and some eyeliner. Anna just stood there trying not to laugh. Elsa just ignored it knowing the reason that she was laughing. Elsa had never gotten this dressed up for a date, so seeing her like this much really be something._

_After finishing Elsa, turned to Anna a look of apprehension on her face. "how do I look?" she asked._

_Anna stared at her a moment "Elsa you look beautiful." She said sincerely._

_Elsa smiled. Truly she was quite the vision of beauty. She then walked out of the room content to wait._

"Thinking about our first date again?" Joseph asked her, startling her out of her daze. Elsa turned to him eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. How in the world did he guess that? She couldn't even believe that he had been that spot on with it.

"how in… did you just read my mind?" Elsa asked shocked. Joseph simply shrugged. "no." he replied "every time I ask that, you always get this look on your face, kind of like your dreaming."

Elsa giggled before turning back to her reflection. A few moments later, she put her brush down and turned to Joseph. "like it?" she asked.

"do you ever have to ask that?" Joseph said innocently before going over and kissing her.

Elsa wrapped her hands around his neck kissing him passionately. His hands wrapped around her back and he pulled her close.

After a few moments, they broke apart, Joseph having a grin on his face. Elsa knew that grin all to well.

Elsa simply snuggled against him "Come on Joseph, we had better eat some breakfast before we starve to death."

Joseph nodded and together they proceeded to walk into the kitchen. Before Elsa could walk into the kitchen and grab the supplies needed to cook the coveted pancakes they oh so desperately desired, Joseph stopped blocked her path.

"oh no Elsa not this time." He said giving her a dangerous smirk "this time I will be doing the cooking. For once you can enjoy my cooking skills."

Elsa gaped at him, knowing that would definitely not be a good idea whatsoever. Joseph rarely ever cooked. Sure he was not bad at it, but most of his meals amounted to basic and even then most of them were border lining on the edge of being edible. If she tried to let him cook the pancakes…

"Joseph" she chided "do you remember the last time you tried cooking something?" she asked.

Joseph flushed "it was not that bad." He defended himself lamely. It wasn't going to work. Last time he tried to cook something, Anna wouldn't eat it. you know you messed up when Anna wouldn't eat something.

He and Elsa had decided to go out on a picnic. They had packed the essentials, including sandwiches and chocolate desserts. The sad part was, Joseph had tried baking the cake himself and it didn't turn out very well. Elsa had taken one bite and had to resort to drinking milk to get rid of the awful taste. Elsa had then tried to give it to Anna several days later (she had arrived in town for the wedding) and Anna had spat the cake out almost immediately.

Elsa had decided then that she was going to be the one cooking this time. Without batting an eye she pushed Joseph aside and began searching through the cabinets for the correct ingredients. She grabbed the eggs, milk and flour, then grabbed the pots and pans.

Elsa followed the instructions, pouring each ingredient into the bowl then mixed it all together.

Joseph just stood watching her. It never ceased to amaze him the Elsa could manage to make every little action look as graceful as she was managing to do it right now.

Elsa then proceeded to remove the mixing spoon from the mix and pour the mix into the pan on the stove.

After a few minutes Elsa had managed to make the pancakes, and the two lovers just sat at the table eating in silence.

Elsa ate slowly, content with her own cooking. It had been one of the many skills that she picked up over the years while taking care of Anna. If it wasn't for Gerda teaching her how to cook, well, then no one would have been able to cook the food.

After some time, the two managed to finish the meal, content with what they had eaten. They had to agree, if Joseph had decided to cook no doubt would it have just prolonged the hunger that had plagued them before they had eaten the food in the first place.

Elsa and Joseph then grabbed the plates and brought them to the sink. Together they washed the dishes then moved to the couch. Sure they wanted to call Anna and tell her the news, but a grumpy Anna was the last thing they wanted to deal with this morning; it was the equivalent of trying to pet a wild tiger.

Still it was relatively early in the morning, so they were content with relaxing until then. They settled for just watching some TV to pass the time. They settled on a movie that they liked watching and just sat there watching it

Joseph held Elsa close not wanting to let go of her. Elsa was snuggled into him, holding him close to her.

"Oh Joseph…" Elsa said "I'm just… I can't believe it…." she breathed.

"knowing you I am pretty sure you have about the entire wedding planned out already." Joseph responded.

Elsa smacked his arm playfully "we just got engaged last night, how much planning do you think I've done?" she asked him

In truth, she already had a few ideas down, but she wanted to consult with her friends before making some of the more drastic decisions. First she wanted to explore all the options, then make the decisions necessary to actually make the wedding happen.

Joseph simply gave Elsa a smirk "your one of the most thoughtful people I know, you always know what to do."

Elsa blushed. Joseph always knew what to say to make her feel good. It didn't matter what the situation was, he could just manage to do it. Even the simplest of things, he could just make better.

Elsa kissed his cheek. "thanks Joseph" she said before snuggling close to him and the two settled for watching the television.


	5. Chapter 5

**OK wow. Just wow. Nearly 1000 views. I wasn't expect this story to be popular at all! Keep favoring reviewing and following!**

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The morning sunlight was quite harsh this morning, far too harsh in Anna's humble opinion. If only when they had moved into their new house, Anna had boarded the windows in order to keep the sun from interrupting her much needed beauty sleep. By why did it have to be out so early? it surely couldn't wait until after Anna was ready to exit her bed to start rising into the air and warming the earth? Anna huffed angrily, rolling to her side expecting to feel (there was no way she would open her eyes, knowing she would be blinded by the glare of light) her husband kristoff by her side. But she was greeted only by the soft mattress. Turning back to the other side, Anna opened her eyes, wincing as her eyes had to adjust after many hours of sleep.

Anna groaned as she forced her body to leave the warm covers. Oh getting up was such a task, why did she have to this morning? Well to be honest she really didn't she didn't have o worry about going to the daycare during the weekends (because her shifts were during the week, the rest were taken by other nurses and caretakers)

Anna sighed staring at her reflection in the mirror that faced her side of the bed. She would really need to get ready this morning. She walked to her vanity, and desperately tried to detangle her hair from the many knots that collected together during the night (kristoff joked he had to fight it before it suffocated him to death.)

Why couldn't she have hair like Elsa's? Elsa had never had to deal with such annoyances in her life. It was very irritating that Anna had to detangle her hair every morning.

Elsa. Her dear older sister. Anna's eyes widened at the thought of her. It had been a while since they last talked. Between working, getting married and the honeymoon, plus with Anna moving and trying to get settled in to her new house after the wedding, the talks between the two sisters had been sparse. They were as close as could be, considering all that had happened between them in the past.

Anna had always looked up to her sister, but never really became like her. Anna was childish and clumsy, while Elsa was regal and poise. In fact most people wondered how the two were even related.

To the two sisters of course, it didn't matter in the slightest. Neither one of them could see the other any differently than they did and never at any point could they want that to change.

Anna had to wonder, what was Elsa doing right now? It was the weekend, so Elsa was probably spending her morning with Joseph.

Joseph. One of the very few men that Elsa had ever dated in her life. It was amazing, considering that Elsa was a very beautiful woman. Despite being one of the most beautiful woman (and therefore men pursued her) Elsa had also been one of the coldest people you could ever know (at least when men tried flirting with her). There was this one time, while Anna was still a teenager that two men had tried asking them out on a double date. Needless to say it didn't end well.

_Anna only 18 years old, stood outside the school building. It was her first year at college and she was trying to make the best of it. she really was. But it was hard. It was her first time away from home and she was scared. Despite having her older sister nearby, it was honestly very tough to be away from home._

_She hardly ever saw Elsa during the day. Not that it was her fault; their class schedules had them at separate sides of the campus during most days so it was very difficult for them to meet up during the course of the day. _

_Thankfully however classes were over, so now all Anna had to do was wait for Elsa to come pick her up so that they could drive back home. _

_The campus was not as large as it could be, but considering it was a very long walk to her apartment, it would be best to drive (hence why Elsa had the car)._

_Ana sighed clutching her books to her chest. She just wished that Elsa could get to the building quicker. It had been a very long day and all Anna wanted to do was spend some time with her sister._

_She saw the old minivan that belonged to Gerda (Elsa and Anna had their own cars but despite that, Gerda insisted to Elsa to take the minivan instead) pull up to the building. Elsa was in the drivers seat._

_Elsa parked the car, instantly noticing her sister. "Anna?" she asked "is everything all right?"_

_Anna nodded walking towards her older sister "yeah, just tired." She said shaking her head. "I just really want to get home."_

_Elsa nodded in understanding. Thought it had been some time into the year, Anna was finding it difficult to adjust to campus life. As Anna got into the passenger seat she asked "do you want to talk about it?"_

_Anna glanced at her sister innocently "about what?" she asked, trying to avoid the conversation._

_Elsa sighed, as she put the car in drive taking them home "don't give me that Anna." She said, her voice stern "you know I'm just trying to help you."_

_Anna contemplated Elsa's words. She knew that Elsa was right. But she didn't really want to bring Elsa down. whining about home was the worst thing to do; at least that's what Anna thought. She was 18. She shouldn't be complaining about such things; it was beneath someone of her age. But then again, isn't that how she felt when Elsa had left for college for the first time? She remembered crying the whole way home, and for most of the week after that. Wouldn't Elsa have done the same?_

_Anna leaned back into her chair. "I just miss home, Elsa." She said, her voice quivering slightly _

_Elsa sighed at her sister knowing exactly where she was coming from. "Anna, I know its hard. I was worried too, when I left." Elsa explained "its like everything you ever known is just gone…" she was silent for a moment, and there was nothing spoken as she continued to drive._

_"but when it all comes down to it, you get used to it." Elsa said "and that's what makes family so special. Seeing them again." Elsa said with a smile._

_Anna frowned, taking in the information. Family was special, and Anna did remember how happy she felt whenever Elsa managed to find time to return home during the holidays._

_Yet at the same time, she missed Kai and Gerda. Sure they weren't her parents, but considering the fact that they had raised Elsa and herself as their own, they pretty much were her parents. _

_Anna turned to look out the window, watching as Elsa pulled the car into the parking lot outside their dorm. Elsa parked the car and Anna climbed out, ready to rush up the stairs that led to their room when she heard a "hey babydoll." The voice was trying to be suave, but came off as annoying (to Anna's point of view anyway) Anna turned, huffing to see a classmate that had been trying to pursue her for the past few weeks. She had politely tried to tell him off, but the past few days he had been a little more aggressive in his advances._

_The classmate moved in close to Anna, who meekly backed away. She could smell some of the alcohol on his breath. Why would he just leave her alone?_

_Elsa noticed the altercation between the two and immediately moved to Anna, pulling the younger girl behind her. "excuse me, but I think you should leave." Elsa said, a trail of anger in her tone._

_The classmate leered at Elsa "oh come on babe, I'm just trying to—" Elsa immediately slapped the man disgusted by his words. The man stumbled, before running away. Turning to Anna, Elsa gave her a smile before they walked up the stirs to their dorm._

Anna knew that Elsa had just been trying to protect her, but if anyone tried flirting with her, it usually didn't go well.

That was what made Elsa's relationship with Elsa so odd. When they had first met, Joseph hadn't even tried to flirt with her. He just spoke to her like he would anybody. Anna supposed that was one thing that made Elsa like him so much. But now she was living with him.

Anna smiled, knowing that Elsa was happy. That was all that mattered to her.

Finally finished with her hair, Anna set down the brush, then proceeded to exit her bedroom and walk over to the kitchen. Unlike Elsa, she did not cook all that much (at least whenever it was breakfast). Instead she just warmed up a piece of toast in the oven, before settling herself on her couch and eating the warmed up bread.

Kristoff had most likely taken Sven for his morning walk, (hence why he wasn't there the moment) so Ana would have to wait for him until he got back

Anna chewed on the bread, remembering the first time she had met Kristoff as soon as she exited the airport that brought her into the town in the first place.

_Anna, carrying her bags angrily stormed out of the airport and into the open air. It was only a few days since her engagement had been broken off, but still thinking about made her blood boil._

_How dare Hans do this to her? What had she done wrong? She had always considered herself a good partner, so why couldn't Hans have just broken off dating her instead of trying to marry her? Sure she wouldn't have taken it so well because she had been smitten with him at the time, but it was better than what had ended up happening._

_Either way, Anna had left that city for good, wanting to be as far away from Hans as possible. She was planning on staying in a hotel for a few days, looking for a job at a daycare, before moving into a new apartment she had bought some time prior ( it was originally meant for vacationing with Elsa, but now she figured she might as well just use it as her new house)._

_It was sad really, considering it was a rather large condo near the beach. Oh well, she figured. It was good she had bought it at all, considering she had left everything behind in her attempt to get away from the pain._

_Anna walked to the cub, intending to get a cab that would take her into the city. However as she was about to hail one, a rather large object suddenly slammed into her, knocking her down. before she could even register falling, she felt said object beginning to lick her face._

_"oooh!" Anna said, trying to get away from the mysterious thing. Unfortunately it was now sitting on her lap, and a lot heavier than she was, leaving her unable to move._

_"Sven! Sven! No bad dog!" A gruff voice yelled. Anna felt the large object move off her allowing her to finally open her eyes, only to come face to face with a rather large dog, being pulled by its collar by a intimidating looking blond man._

_Anna's eyes lit up! a dog! She squealed in delight, standing up and walking towards the dog, her arm outstretched. The dog licked her hand and she giggled._

_The blond man took notice of Anna's actions, and ceased pulling on the chain, but kept a firm grip, to prevent the dog from pouncing on Anna again._

_"hello there little guy!" Anna squealed happily, scratching Sven's head. She then took notice of his owner. He was tall blond and very brawny. Anna blushed, he seemed quite different from her former fiancé._

_"hi!" she greeted happily. The man glanced at her. " hi" he said. He did not look at all enthused at the prospect of talking to her._

_Despite this, Anna persevered. "is this your dog? He seemed like an absolute sweetheart." She said._

_The man shrugged "his names Sven." He said. _

_Anna grinned, not caring at all that the man seemed to not be interested in her "and whats your name good sir?"_

_The man blinked shocked at being addressed like this. he stared at her before saying "Kristoff"_

_"Well then Kristoff. would you like to join me for some coffee?" _

True she may have accelerated to fast right there considering that she had just broken up with Hans, but at the time it seemed like a good Idea. However she was adamant not to try and pursue him as a romantic partner until after getting to know him.

One thing led to another and so on and so forth. It wasn't until about 7 months later the two had actually ended up starting to date one another, and it wasn't until the following year, that Kristoff proposed.

Anna wasn't trying to end up dating Kristoff at first, it honestly just happen that way. There was in no way that she could regret it though, mainly because she was happy that it happened at all.

Anna laughed, Kristoff clearly had very little experience with woman in his life. She never really found out as to why that was, but she figured it was because he was just a quiet person. He was not exactly as quiet as Elsa, but he just wasn't that good with people. Elsa at least knew had to converse with people whenever she had too.

Despite that Anna, couldn't be any happier with Kristoff. they were as close as any married couple could be. Anna smiled remembering the exact moment that Kristoff had proposed to her.

_Anna sat in her chair across from Kristoff. she was wearing one of her nicer green dresses, while Kristoff was wearing a black suit and tie. To be honest Anna was quite surprised by the sudden act of dinner this evening. Usually the two would just order takeout because Anna ordered a lot of food and they didn't want to sit and wait for all the food( for Kristoffs sake mostly), plus they liked to eat with Sven._

_It had been an unusual affair to say the very least about it. Anna had ordered some salad, while kristoff ordered a sandwich, but he seemed very nervous when Anna ordered the chocolate cake_

_"kristoff." Anna said, worried about her boyfriends behavior. She had never seen him this nervous, well not since he had met Elsa what could possibly be so bad it was making him nervous._

_Kristoff tried to smile, nervously fidgeting. he just looked around nervously and tried to avoid Anna's eyes. Anna was starting to get annoyed. Why was he like this?_

_Could he be… Anna's eyes widened. No! there was no way after dragging her out to this gorgeous dinner that he would be up and breaking up with her! Anna opened her mouth to speak, uncaring of what she would say, but a new voice interrupted her before she could start ranting._

_"your chocolate cake!" the waiter said, placing a large cake in front of Anna. Anna glanced at the cake a moment, her mouth watering, but before she could even consider eating it, something on it caught her eye. Instead of the cherry that would normally be on top, there was a diamond ring. _

_Why on earth would a diamond-. Anna gasped her cheeks filling up with red. No! Kristoff was…. No! she stared as Kristoff got up out of his seat and placed himself on one knee in front of her._

_"Anna, I know that we started off as, friends, but we became something more. You are the most wonderful girl I have ever known. Will you marry me?"_

_Anna started to cry. Of course she wanted to marry him, but she was just so happy she started to cry instead. She covered her face trying to hold back the tears._

_As expected Kristoff panicked. He had no idea what to do. Anna never cried. _

_"uh.. Anna please, don't—" he was caught off as Anna tackled him, shouting "yes!" at the top of her lungs._

Needless to say the rest was history. Anna was now Anna Bjorgman, wife to Kristoff Bjorgman

Anna had had quite the time planning the wedding, let alone throwing it. it had been a lot of fun.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the front door open followed by the sound of footsteps rushing into the house. Not a second later Sven hopped onto the couch next to her, licking her face. Anna laughed, rubbing Sven's back, before turning her attention to her husband who was smiling at her. She stood up from the couch

"hey feistypants." He said, staring at her. Anna leaned down and kissed his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck. They broke apart.

"did you sleep well?" he asked.

Anna pouted "I'm kind of disappointed that you weren't there when I woke up" Anna said sitting back down on the couch.

Kristoff shrugged, "well a certain someone had to take care of business." He said, looking at Sven. The dog just barked.

Anna smiled "well because of that little stunt, you have to make it up to me later, ok dear?" she asked with a grin on her face

Kristoff shrugged "yes feistypants." He said.

"good" Anna retorted, knowing that she had won that little exchange. She got up from he couch and went to the kitchen. Just as she walked into the room the phone began to ring. According to the caller ID it was Elsa.

Anna picked up the phone "Elsa"


	6. Chapter 6

**Another chapter! Read on!**

* * *

Elsa held the phone in her hand, putting in Anna's number. With each number pressed, her anxiety grew. It wasn't that she believed Anna would be against her upcoming marriage. Ana would no doubt be happy about it, and of course Elsa was eager to tell her, she just didn't want Anna to go completely overboard with it. (though she probably would)

Despite that, Anna needed to be the first person she told about it. after that the list would trickle down from there. To be honest, Elsa did not want to have a large wedding. The wedding itself would be a media circus if Joseph revealed the wedding to the public (something neither of them wanted). Plus between the fact Elsa was mostly a private woman and there honestly was not a large amount of people that she would invite to the wedding anyway, it would be set if the wedding was indeed smaller than what Anna's had been.

Sure the wedding itself was by no means a nightmare, but because Anna was by far the more outgoing, she had invited a large amount of people, from high school, college and work. At the time Elsa was surprised by the large amount of people that had even shown up. what was even more surprising was the Kristoff's whole family made up the rest of the guests and that had been quite a scare for Elsa as it was. Kristoff may not have had many friends (Elsa was sure that Sven was the only friend he considered as such, he even made Sven the ring bearer), but he sure had a lot of family.

Everything worked out for the best though (despite the fact that Sven almost ate the rings) and the wedding went off without a hitch. The reception had served a variety of food (a variety of cultures, though most of it had been Scandinavian, since that was what Anna and Elsa were fond of).

Elsa smiled remembering how happy she had been that day, or rather how happy she had been seeing Anna getting married. She had obviously been the maid of honor, so she had been at Ana's side throughout the whole wedding. Despite that, it was still so odd seeing her sister in the wedding dress.

Needless to say, the picking process hadn't exactly been the easiest of times for anybody. Anna had found it extremely difficult to pick out a dress, either because she felt they were too small or too loose; it had taken nearly the entire day for Anna to pick out the wedding dress.

Not to mention, Kai and Gerda had been adamant that Anna not go overboard with the wedding itself, despite the fact that the reception was going to include a large amount of people. In short, Anna would want something and the two would simply shoot it down. it wasn't like there was any room for argument either; Kai and Gerda, despite being fair caretakers, were the only two people that to this day, still intimidate Anna and Elsa (no doubt due to the many glares the two had received because of their antics as children).

Despite everything that happened in the days prior to the wedding, Elsa could honestly say that it had been worth going through all the hours of planning that led to the wedding.

The look on Anna's face had been so worth it. The smile that never left her face, her eyes shining so brightly as the priest announced her and Kristoff as married.

Elsa could not wait to get married. She only hoped that she wouldn't get as bad as what happened just prior to the wedding.

Like they say cold feet was a major given during such a thing as marriage. Elsa was not surprised when Anna did indeed get cold feet the day before her wedding. Not because she was scared that Kristoff would doing anything to hurt her after they were married, but because it was just so life changing.

Who could say otherwise? Growing up marriage seemed like a silly thing. Fairy tales that came true. When you're an adult however, one could plainly tell that this was not going to be the case.

Anna had been so scared the day before her wedding she almost cried. It had been heart wrenching to say the least.

Watching as her little sister crying her fears out to her, Elsa had felt sorry for Anna and tried her best to make her feel better. The moment had definitely helped Anna, and she seemed to feel better.

That was good, because Anna getting married looking miserable would not exactly been nice.

_Elsa, in a teal gown stood outside her sisters dressing room door. Rapunzel had come to her saying that while getting the dress ready, she had suddenly burst into tears. Not little tears, but full fledged crying her eyes out. It was so distracting that the seamstress had asked Rapunzel to look for Elsa._

_Rapunzel had left to find Elsa (who was in the main venue doing some final preparations for the big event)_

_As Elsa was speaking to the catering service, she spotted Rapunzel running toward her in her violet dress, looking quite distressed._

_Elsa was confused, Rapunzel never got distressed. She was always warm and happy, so why would she be running towards her with so much distress?_

_Politely excusing herself from the conversation, she calmly walked over to meet with Rapunzel, who stopped short to meet Elsa._

_"El-Elsa" Rapunzel said, nearly breathless, trying to catch her breath before explaining whatever was so important to Elsa._

_Elsa stared at her younger cousin. Why was she looking for her? Wasn't she supposed to be with Anna? Anna was getting her dress prepared for the wedding tomorrow._

_That's when it hit Elsa. Rapunzel was looking for her because of Anna!_

_Rapunzel began speaking quickly, so quickly that Elsa was not able to understand anything she was saying. As her younger cousin continued to ramble, Elsa reached out and grabbed Rapunzel by the shoulders. The younger woman quickly shut up, surprised by Elsa's sudden actions._

_"Rapunzel." Elsa said calmly. "calm down" she emphasized the last word, hoping to get Rapunzel to listen. _

_Rapunzel shook her head, shaking off the effects of Elsa's therapy, before regain her composure._

_"Anna.. she… she just started crying!" Rapunzel said in a whisper. Elsa's eyes widened surprised by this news. She had seen Anna earlier and she was as happy as ever. What had happened in the past few hours._

_Elsa without even waiting for Rapunzel to continue, turned and ran towards the dressing rooms._

_Making her way to the door, she opened the door, to worried to even consider knocking. The sight that met her eyes almost made her cry Anna was curled up on the floor crying, wailing even._

_Elsa turned to the seamstress, a kind old lady. "can you give us a few minutes?" She asked._

_After the seamstress left the room, Elsa turned her attention to the crying bride on the floor. Elsa walked to Ana, and bent down on the floor, wrapping her arms around her. Anna turned to Elsa, hugging her close as she continued to cry._

_"Anna" Elsa whispered. "whats wrong honey?"_

_Anna choked, desperately trying to get some air. Elsa just waited._

_"i-i-I'm s-or-sorry—El-Elsa!" Anna said, her voice barely tangible because her breath was coming out in strangled sobs. Elsa held her sister tighter, rubbing circles on her back._

_"i—ju—just mi-i-miss—mom- and –d-dad" Anna cried, before dissolving back into a fit of sobs._

_Elsa struggled not to cry as she held Anna. Of course. Tomorrow was Anna's wedding day, and the two people that Anna wished could be there, never could be… Elsa had long since forgiven and made peace with that day. It still hurt, but… _

_They never saw their children grow… never witnessed the important events in their lives…_

_Now here Anna was, almost a married woman. her father could not be here to give her away at the wedding. Her mother couldn't tell her how proud she was._

_Tears leaked out of Elsa's eyes. There was not much that she could say to Anna. The deaths of their parents… the pain never left._

_"Anna." Elsa said lifting Anna's head so that they were staring at each other. Anna's face was red and tear stained from all the crying. Even so, she still looked like a bride to be._

_"I miss them too. Not a day goes by that I wish they were here… to see you now… to see us…" Elsa said. With a sad smile she continued "they would have loved Kristoff and sven…"_

_Anna sniffled, touched by Elsa's words._

_"but know, that they are always with us…" Elsa said "they watch over us every day. As long as we remember them… they will never leave our side."_

_Anna burst into tears once again. she buried her face into Elsa's shoulder. Elsa continued to rub circles on her back. After a few moments, Anna calmed down._

_ Lifting her head, Anna gave Elsa a smile, before wrapping her arms around Elsa "Thank you Elsa."_

Elsa frowned a little at the memory. It was sad. All of Anna's dreams were about to come true, but it was painful, knowing that the only two people unable to be there, were their parents. Kai and Gerda had obviously done the duties admirably, but they were not exactly replacements.

Despite that, the wedding went off without a hitch and very well, despite Anna's troubles. It had been very adorable watching Anna in her first moments as a wife. She and Kristoff would feed each other chocolate cake most of the night and dance as well. though at one point, Anna accidently through her bouquet into the cake (sadly).

Elsa laughed slightly. It had been such a day, one that she would no doubt remember for the rest of her life.

She could already imagine Anna getting excited by the news, and she could only here Kai and Gerda crying at the fact that the elder sister was getting married.

Kai and Gerda had been ecstatic when Anna announced that she was getting married; they had practically planned out the entire thing (hence the quality control) so they would no doubt be just as happy to find out that Elsa was getting married.

The only problem was the media that might try and slip through the door, in order to leak the wedding to the tabloids. At Anna's wedding this wasn't a problem; neither Anna or Kristoff held jobs that were in the public eye. Joseph on the other hand was a CEO, who (had to) frequently make comments about the company, if the announcement was indeed important. Along with all the charity funds he made and social functions he had to (boringly) attend, it was hard for him to keep the bigger things a secret.

It would certainly cause trouble while planning the wedding. Elsa would have to pick a secluded location in order to prevent the media from snooping around, while Joseph would have to hire some extra security, just incase anyone tried to sneak in

Elsa just didn't want to have so many hurdles for the wedding. Planning a wedding was tough enough, but with these extra hassles; Elsa was going to have her work cut out for her.

But with the help of Anna, Kai Gerda and Rapunzel, Elsa was sure that she would be able to handle it.

All Elsa wanted was for her wedding to go well. if it was going to be anything like Anna's, then she was certain that nothing would go terribly wrong (minus the cold feet and worry), and that everyone who could make it would make it.

Elsa smiled. One she planned out the wedding with her family, it was only a matter of time and resources. That was not going to be a problem at all.

What certainly might end up becoming a problem was Joseph's own parents. Elsa had never met them. According to him they had 'left' after he finished college. She never really knew what he meant by that, but she suspected it had something to do with his upbringing specifically in the sense that he had been traveling all his life prior to meeting Rapunzel.

Joseph never spoke ill of his parents though. Still in the end it was such a shame that they would probably not attend their own sons wedding.

Elsa smiled remembering the time that Joseph had met Kai and Gerda. It had been at the wedding (which had been a complete surprise). Elsa was worried that they would not like him, but it didn't turn out as bad as she thought it would.

_Elsa sat in a seat by the venue. She wasn't really busy at the moment. Anna's wedding was only a short time away, so all the difficulties were out of the way. Now she was only worried about Anna getting married. It wasn't everyday that a family member grew up and married._

_With a sigh, Elsa lay back in her seat. She was tired from the many hours of planning and preparing, so the wedding was going to indeed be a blessing; once it got started anyway._

_Elsa looked down the isle were the chapel was. It certainly screamed "Anna" it was filled with a variety of spring flowers. It was perfect for the wedding. _

_As Elsa stared at chapel, she heard Rapunzel call her "Elsa!". She turned to find her younger cousin walking toward her, a smile on her ever cheerful face._

_Elsa stood up, turning to Rapunzel, "what is it?" she asked._

_Rapunzel giggled "there is someone here to see you." She said, with a grin._

_Elsa was confused. Who could be here, now, only hours before the wedding. Wasn't everyone supposed to be here by now?_

_Rapunzel turned, walking down the isle. Elsa followed. She was intrigued. Who was Rapunzel talking about?_

_She got her answer when she exited the venue. Needless to say, she had never been more shocked than she was right there._

_Standing there in a suit, was Joseph. He had a wide grin on his face as he was conversing with Primrose, Rapunzel's mother. Elsa felt her cheeks grow red from shock. She turned to face Rapunzel, who was doing her best not to laugh at the situation._

_"I was worried that you wouldn't have a date for the wedding" Rapunzel told her "so I invited him"_

_Elsa glared at her cousin "your as bad as Anna" she groaned._

_Before she could turn around and walk back into the chapel however, Joseph looked up and caught sight of her. He turned back to Primrose, excusing himself, before making his way to Elsa._

_"Elsa!" he called out, before reaching her and giving her a hug. Elsa quickly hugged him back._

_Pulling away, Elsa smiled at him "this is a surprise" Elsa told him._

_Joseph laughed "your telling me." He said, glancing at Rapunzel. She grinned at him. he gave her a hug_

_Elsa giggled along with him, "well I'm glad you're here" she said_

_Joseph smiled "me too"_

_Elsa took his hand and proceeded to take him inside the chapel "theres someone who wants to meet you"_

_Elsa took him to the venue, where she found Kai and Gerda talking with each other._

_"Kai! Gerda!" the older couple turned to see Elsa with Joseph. Surprise and concerned looks appeared on there faces._

_The duo came to a stop. "Kai Gerda, this is Joseph."_

_Joseph smiled "it's a pleasure." He said extending his hand. _

_Kai was the first to shake his hand "Kai." He introduced himself._

_Gerda however ignored the handshake and instead proceeded to hug Joseph (much to his shock)_

_The older woman then pulled away, a wide grin on her face "you're a fine young man, Joseph." She said causing him to blush._

_"well…" he fumbled. Elsa saw he was clearly nervous. He had never had to deal with such things like this before. he was trying not to mess up._

_trying to diffuse the tension Elsa turned to her guardians and said "Joseph happens to work for a business company, he is the CEO as a matter of fact."_

_Kai glanced at the younger man "you work for business son?"_

_Joseph nodded "my originally employer left it to me before he died. it was quite a shock"_

_Gerda gave him a smile "you seem to be doing well though"_

_Joseph laughed "I try"_

_The four then laughed. Elsa then took Joseph's hand and said "come on. There are still more people who want to see you"_

Elsa had been happy to find out that everyone did indeed love meeting her fiancé and had to admit that the wedding was a lot better with him there. It had been a dream come true for everyone that day, and Elsa couldn't be any happier than she was right then (at the time)

She smiled, knowing that everything would indeed work out for the best. She just couldn't wait for Ana to answer the phone(or anyone else for that matter).

The only thing that she might have trouble with for the wedding was gathering everything she may need for it. she didn't want to go overboard with it, like Anna had, because that would just cause a lot of trouble that she didn't need to deal with.

That shouldn't be a problem however, because Elsa knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it.

She then proceeded to finish typing in Anna's number and held it to her ear. The phone started to ring. With each rang Elsa's anxiety grew.

What should she say first? Hi? This was proving more difficult than Elsa realized. She needed to say something.

The next moment, Anna picked up the phone. "Elsa?" she asked.

Elsa took a deep breath "Anna. I'm getting married."


	7. Chapter 7

**This was quite difficult this time around.**

* * *

Joseph was grinning as he saw Elsa talk on the phone with Anna. Throughout the morning, Elsa had been worried that breaking the news of the engagement would be difficult. This was because Elsa had a difficult time talking to people about important things.

It appeared to him though that it really wouldn't be so difficult. Judging by the look, Elsa had broken the news to Anna.

It was no secret that Anna desperately wanted Elsa to find a husband in her life; he had heard on one occasion (much to Elsa's annoyance and embarrassment) that Anna had once set Elsa up on a blind date with a guy she knew. According to Elsa she never went out with him (or anyone else, according to Anna) again following that.

On that note he had actually been very surprised to find out that Anna had accepted him so easily the night that he had met Elsa. This was of course no doubt to her bubbly nature; she was quite possibly the friendliest person that he had ever come across in his life, other than Rapunzel.

It was quite strange thing, being accepted the way he was. He was used to being with Rapunzel; they had grown up together so that in and of itself was not really a surprise as much as it was to find out that her cousins were just as accepting as she was when they first met.

Ironically, Elsa was slightly more standoffish that night. She was by no means being rude to him, but she didn't seem to that interested in talking to him either.

In the end though he just really couldn't be any happier than he was right now. Elsa's family was just as much family to him as Rapunzel's was; he had accepted them as family not long after meeting Rapunzel.

At the wedding, Kai and Gerda had been open to him, (though he was certain it was partially a ruse, so they could spare Elsa's feelings) and they seemed nice enough. He couldn't blame them otherwise. Elsa had never been one for dating people so Rapunzel inviting him to their adopted daughters wedding had been quite a shock.

Regardless, he was hoping that they would give him their blessing for the marriage. They certainly liked Kristoff enough (he never knew why; not that he thought ill of the man) to give him their blessing for Anna's marriage.

If they did give him their blessing, he would feel happy knowing that Kai and Gerda did approve of him marrying the woman they raised since childhood; he wanted them to be happy for her as they were for Anna.

He probably wasn't giving the pair a lot of credit either. He knew that they were worried out the well fair of both their children.

With a laugh he remembered the night that he met Anna and Elsa for the first time.

_Their names were Elsa and Anna; the older and younger one respectively. They certainly reminded him of his old friend. However, despite being similar in appearance, the pair couldn't seem to act any more different if they tried._

_Anna was bubbly optimistic and couldn't seem to stop talking. She had already asked him everything from his favorite food to favorite color. It seemed she had more in common with Rapunzel then Elsa did._

_Elsa on the other hand was far more quiet and reserved. Other than a few questions about his interests, she hadn't said much in the past few minutes._

_Why was she like that? Deciding to take the initiative, he asked "So Elsa… what do you do for a living?"_

_Elsa's gaze snapped up to meet his and her cheeks puffed slightly. She seemed unsure about answering. It was like she had never been asked that before. but why would she feel so uncomfortable? Surely it wasn't going to be something that could be described as despicable._

_Stepping back a little, Joseph added, "If you don't mind me asking."_

_Elsa chewed her lip before saying "I work for an ice skating company."_

_Her voice was so soft. It reminded him of a little child that wasn't sure about herself. It made him chuckle. "That's cool… no pun intended!" he told her laughing. Rapunzel slapped his arm playfully. "Joseph…"_

_Joseph glanced at Rapunzel "what?" he asked innocently. _

_Turning back to the others he asked, "have you always liked ice?" he asked Elsa._

_Elsa nodded slightly "I have been ice skating ever since I was a little girl. My parents taught me one winter."_

_Joseph smiled then turned to Anna "how about you?"_

_Anna smiled "I can't skate. Every time I try, I end up falling. Elsa of course has been trying to teach me, but it unfortunately hasn't worked out so far."_

_Joseph just laughed. "I know. I can't skate, but maybe we can go skiing. My parents and I used to skate in the Alps when I was a kid._

_Elsa's eyes widened "you've been to the Alps?" She asked._

_Joseph nodded "yep, I've been to all kinds of places; my family took me traveling all over the place until we finally moved here in the United States. That's when I met Rapunzel." He turned to said woman and grinned "we were together ever since then. Until college, anyway."_

_Anna's eyes lit up "really! Tell us!"_

It certainly had been quite a night after that. The four exchanged silly stories of childhood (much to everyone's annoyance) favorite subjects. Anything that came to mind, it was shared.

Though he and Elsa departed as friends, he was certainly surprised that she later revealed her feelings for him that night.

He certainly wasn't expecting it. He was attracted to her, and sure it hadn't been the first time someone had professed an attraction to him (though it was probably the first one to be genuine), but it still came to him as a surprise, even though the two had become friends.

He smiled. Elsa truly was a remarkable woman. They made each other happy.

Joseph watched as Elsa continued to chat with Anna over the phone, no doubt already discussing wedding plans. They certainly were going to have their hands full, that much would be certain.

What Elsa had planned he really couldn't be certain of, other than the theme for the wedding. It wasn't Elsa he was really concerned about though, it was what Rapunzel and Anna would have planned for her. No doubt they would want a bachelorette party in order to let Elsa 'loosen' up a bit. The problem was, Elsa hated parties just as much as he did (he wasn't exactly pleased with things like that; he hated going to any social party).

Unfortunately, Elsa probably wouldn't have much say in the matter, mainly because Anna and Rapunzel would probably drag her through it regardless. Sure Elsa would go along with it since Anna and Rapunzel would work so hard for it, but that didn't mean that she was going to like it.

On the other hand Rapunzel's husband Eugene (or Flynn as he preferred to be called) would probably organize a bachelor party (yay…)

Long story short, neither of them would like having 'those' types of parties, right before they were married, despite the good intentions of their friends.

Unfortunately, the both of them would probably have to deal with it when it came. Surely it wasn't going to be that bad. None of their friends went that overboard.

He just wondered exactly what his friends (his coworkers at the company) would do for him when they found out he was getting married. Over the past few years as the CEO, he had made some good friends at the company. They were kind of a happy bunch and he told them about Elsa (and they so liked to tease him about it) so as soon as he told them about his engagement no doubt they were going to plan so party for him before he came to work.

So that would mean two parties he would have to deal with…

It would all be just for some good fun, he couldn't exactly blame them for anything; it was just how some people were. People like that simply wanted to spread the happiness around; there was absolutely nothing wrong with that.

Joseph laughed. He could only imagine the looks on everyone's face when they heard the news (he saw Kai and Gerda being shocked and happy).

No doubt it would end up being one of the best days of everyone's life (up until that point).

It certainly would be a good day, no matter what. Nothing could possibly go wrong on such a day right? That was why a wedding was so… magical right? It would be impossible for someone to ruin it.

Either way Elsa had a lot of planning to do.

Joseph sighed, knowing that one of the major problems for the wedding was going to be his own parents. He hadn't seen them in a few years. Not long after he had inherited the company from his original employer, his parents had told him that once again they were planning a world tour. Joseph had never resented his parents, but he was angry for their rather weird nature. They had spent his entire childhood traveling the world, only stopping in the United States for him to prepare for college. Wasn't it enough to just find a place to call home?

Last he heard from his parents, they had settled in France. Apparently that was the place the loved the most when they had traveled and it seemed they were intent on staying there, at least for the time being.

Should he call them and tell them he was getting married? That they would meet their daughter in law and her family for the first time? He wasn't sure. They never took any interest in his life (at least the small parts; they raised him with good values, they just never found a place to call home)

Joseph just wanted to have peace in his life for once. He just wasn't certain that introducing his parents into Elsa's life would be a very good idea. Whether or not they thought Elsa would be a good spouse was partially the issue. Joseph had only ever introduced them to Rapunzel. They had been trilled that Joseph had found a friend, for which he was grateful. They had accepted her as family.

The difference was that he never introduced a girl as a date to his family. By the time he actually started dating, his parents had already left the country. He pretty much just filled the void with everything else he had in his life, whether it was work or even the other people in his life.

Joseph decided that it was better to keep his parents out of the loop, at least for now. Better to have Elsa plan the wedding and get everything ready, before his parents knew about the marriage.

If they were against it, oh well; he was going to marry Elsa and nothing was going to stop him; he didn't care what is parents thought.

Elsa was his family now. He wanted a life with her, children. He blushed slightly.

He smiled remembering the night he and Elsa truly became a couple.

_Joseph was walking down the parking lot to his car. The sun was setting beyond the horizon. The wedding was pretty much over and the guests were leaving. He was as well, but he was accompanied by a certain platinum blond haired woman._

_He had stayed by Elsa's side throughout the wedding. It had been quite the fiesta, (though he admittedly wasn't a fan of such things). Anna really knew how to party when she wanted too._

_Surprisingly, Elsa was quite the party girl as well, despite he more reclusive disposition. She wasn't quite as lively as Anna, but she was quite a dancer._

_He had been quite shocked when Elsa had invited him over to her place. Sure they had been 'going out' for a while, but he hadn't thought that they were dating officially. _

_He led Elsa to his car (she had arrived with Anna, so she didn't have a car). Going to her side, he opened the door for her. She gave him a smile before getting in to the car. He then went to the drivers seat and got in._

_"Where to miss?" he asked_

_Elsa gave him her address and off they went._

_The trip hadn't taken too long; for the hotel wasn't far from the chapel that Anna had gotten married. After a few minutes the duo had arrived. The two quickly got out of the car, and Elsa quickly led Joseph to her room and she locked the door behind them._

_Elsa turned to Joseph and kissed him passionately. Joseph gently pushed Elsa against the doorframe. Elsa wrapped one of her legs around Joseph's waist, while he picked up the other and proceeded to carry Elsa to the bedroom, shutting the door behind them._

_Some time later, the two lay under the covers, Elsa snuggling against him._

_Elsa was grinning "wow… if I knew you were that passionate…" she said with a seductive smirk on her face._

_Joseph gave her a smile "you surprised me too."_

_He kissed her forehead. Elsa snuggled against him and her breathing slowed. She had fallen asleep._

Joseph smiled. That night had been quite a surprise.

Joseph was glad to have Elsa in his life. She was everything he wanted in his life. He wanted to make the rest of her life as happy as he possibly could.

He wanted this wedding to go well, not for his own sake, but Elsa's. No one deserved such a wedding anymore than she did. She was his everything. He would never forgive himself if he hurt her in any manner.

Not to mention Anna (who scared him more than Kai and Gerda if he was to be honest; the only thing she loved more than Elsa was… nothing) would kill him if he did anything to hurt Elsa.

But he knew that he would never do anything to hurt Elsa.

Regardless he would do his best to make sure that Elsa was always happy.

He could hear her conversation with Anna in the next room. No doubt she was trying to keep Anna in line, whilst Anna was excitedly trying come up with ideas for Elsa's wedding (Elsa no doubt was trying to keep her in line.)

Elsa would no doubt be more reserved for her wedding than Anna, so it was more than likely that most, if not all of Anna's ideas would be discarded by Elsa.

Elsa would want some of Anna's ideas to be used, but she needed to keep everyone in line while using some of her own ideas for the wedding. Elsa would have quite a battle planning the wedding (which would no doubt be a humorous affair)

Joseph would be glad to help Elsa in anyway he could, but he wasn't exactly envious of her job. The only thing he would probably have to deal with was helping her pick out who she wanted to send the invitations to (which would no doubt amount to only a few people.)

Suddenly he heard Elsa say goodbye, thus ending her conversation with Anna. A moment later she walked into the room, a smile on her face. She walked to him and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close "well Anna is happy. She wants us to join her for dinner as soon as we can"

Elsa frowned slightly "so when are we going to tell Kai and Gerda?" she asked. Joseph frowned. "You already told Anna, how hard could in be to tell the rest of your family?"

In truth it might be very hard for them to tell Kai and Gerda the news. They were worried that Elsa might be rushing into marriage far to quickly, considering she hadn't had a lot of relationships before in her life. But she was far more observant than Anna was, so she knew when a guy was worth dating (hence why she dated Joseph)

While Kai and Gerda were nothing short of cordially, they hadn't exactly been as accepting of Joseph as they were with Kristoff, because Anna had known Kristoff for much longer before she started dating.

Neither could blame the two for being protective. Elsa had been far more reclusive than Anna was growing up, while Anna was naïve. They wanted to make sure that the girls were well taken care of and provided for.

Elsa knew however that Joseph perfectly fit the requirements that worried her adoptive guardians. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, no matter what they said about him.

Hopefully in time they would accept him just as they had accepted Kristoff.

If they didn't, well then Elsa didn't care. While she did care about her guardians, she wanted to spend her life with Joseph, no matter what.

Elsa sighed. "Joseph… I just wish they trusted you a little more."

Joseph kissed Elsa. "Don't worry snowflake. We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

Elsa kissed him back. "Your right." She said. "At least Anna and Rapunzel like you."

Joseph smiled "you do realize that both of them will go overboard right?"

Elsa giggled "you don't have to tell me that. Anna was using everything she could when she planned her own wedding."

The two laughed then made their way back to the bedroom. They might as well get ready to go out. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful day, so why not get ready go out and enjoy the warmth and sunshine while they could?


	8. Chapter 8

**Happy Holidays!**

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After showering, Elsa and Joseph were dressed, in comfortable summer weather clothing. It was quite the warm summer day (despite Autumn being some time away.) Elsa felt it would be best to visit Anna for dinner at that point because it would be a lot easier to plan out the visit then, as opposed to rushing at the last possible minute.

The two lovers had just exited the apartment complex and were heading toward the nearby park that was located just a few blocks away.

Elsa and Joseph had been to that park multiple times in the past few months (hence the unfortunate picnic incident). It was quite a nice spot to just relax, if one wanted to.

The park was well known for its gardens. It housed one of the largest greenhouses with one of the most beautiful (in Elsa's opinion) botanical gardens in the world. Perhaps Elsa would find the perfect set of flowers to use for her bouquet, if not for decorations of some sort.

Joseph had no doubt that Elsa would use one of the flowers. She may not be as artistic and visual as Rapunzel was (since she worked for a painting company) but she had a very good attention span when it came to her detailing and she could plan everything around the one thing she chose to use, whether that be colors or type of flowers (though Rapunzel would probably handle this when time came for it)

Joseph and Elsa entered the outer gardens, marveling at the many types of flora that had been planted there. Despite having traveled the world, and therefore having seen some of the most exotic gardens, Joseph had to admit that this was one of the best places to be (when it came to its beauty anyway), though he wasn't exactly a fan of landscapes

Elsa was in the same boat, so to speak. Landscapes weren't exactly her favorite things either, but she did love just witnessing the beauty in everything. One of her favorite things to do was watch the dawning of a new day.(ironic, considering Anna would rather be awake for sunset, rather than sunrise). Joseph had to agree that the sunrise was a very majestic sight (though it was an everyday occurrence)

Perhaps for their honeymoon, they should go someplace where they could get a very nice view of both the sunrise and sunset.

Elsa was smiling uncontrollably. It seemed that the park always had that affect on her, despite the fact that she had been here before. Then again, this was her first time in a while. The two of them could only imagine how Elsa would react during the winter. Most likely, it would have something to do with the ice and snow that came along with it.

As a child, Elsa had spent all her winters in the snow, playing with Anna. Together the two would build snowmen and roll down hills. It was one of their favorite things to do.

That had been such a long time ago, but Elsa cherished those memories dearly. She kid of wished that Anna would move closer to her, so that way, they could continue doing those things, at least during their spare time.

Anna no doubt would have a blast during that time of year (though she would question why Elsa wanted to have a winter themed wedding; it would be very cold.)

In all honestly though, no Elsa knew hated the snow. If anything, the cold was just very uncomfortable for them, but they couldn't complain otherwise.

Joseph looked at Elsa, who returned his gaze. He pecked Elsa's head, grinning, " we went on a picnic together here, right?" he asked teasingly, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Elsa giggled, "oh I remember. You tried to bake a cake; only you ended up using salt instead of sugar. Seriously, how did you mess that up? It's a recipe with set instructions.

Joseph stuck his tongue out at her "I can't cook you know that. Why do you think I try? I want to improve."

Elsa slapped his arm "you should have Rapunzel teach you. She is a great cook."

Joseph blanched. Uh oh. No no no no no! He had tried that once. Once. Rapunzel had asked him for help in baking something for their school fair. They had tried working together, but the two of them (Joseph) still managed to end up doing something wrong.

He was pretty sure Rapunzel's parent's still wanted payment for that

Elsa never knew about that (thankfully). She would no doubt laugh about it though. He chuckled "maybe" he said with a shrug. "Anything is possible."

Elsa giggled. "yep" she said.

Elsa then looked at the trees, remembering that exact moment

_Elsa and Joseph were sitting on a picnic cloth. Around them were several meals, ranging from sandwiches to a (not so well) baked chocolate cake._

_It had been several weeks since the day at the diner and the two lovers couldn't be any happier. Anna was due to be married in a few days so Elsa would have to go, but she wanted to enjoy some time with Joseph._

_Elsa happily munched on the food (it was her favorite), but she couldn't wait to try the cake that Joseph made. It had to be positively delicious._

_She had never had the courtesy of him cooking their meals before, they had either gone out, or Elsa would cook. Elsa figured that Joseph either didn't know how to cook or was embarrassed to tell her (which really shouldn't be). But perhaps it wouldn't be too bad._

_The two of them sat in silence as they ate their food. It was quite the warm spring day. Elsa had been to this park as a child, and she had some fond memories of the place particularly with Anna._

_Elsa finished her sandwich, nibbling on the final piece, before swallowing. Joseph had also finished his meal and was now watching as Elsa finished._

_Elsa giggled slightly "that was amazing Joseph, who knew you were such a good cook?"_

_Joseph chuckled nervously, not assaying a word. "would you like to try the cake now?" Elsa gave him a grin "yes please"_

_Joseph gave her a slice before watching as she took a bite. Elsa's eyes widened, before she hastily swallowed, grabbed the milk box by her side and gulped down the drink as fast as she could. Forget out regality, the cake slice tasted awful._

_Joseph winced maybe this wasn't a very good idea. He was not a cook. He could make things, but actually cooking, it was not the easiest thing in the world to do._

_Elsa breathed in a few times trying to regain her composure. After a moment, she smiled at Joseph and said _

_"well, that was interesting"_

_Joseph slumped his shoulders "it was horrible, you can admit it" he said._

_Elsa smiled sheepishly "I'm sorry Joseph, but baking…." She was silent for a moment, trying to find the best way to tell Joseph that he was a terrible cook._

_Joseph however, beat her too it. He began to laugh "I know, I know. I'm terrible at baking. I always let Rapunzel do the baking back home. She was far better at it than I was."_

_Elsa giggled "didn't you ever try and help her out or anything?" knowing Joseph he would at least try and help Rapunzel out with something, should she have ever asked him to bake something with her._

_Joseph nodded "yeah, all I did was grab the ingredients. Rapunzel never let me near the oven. Said it was a family heirloom" (didn't stop him from accidently destroying it that one time, not that Elsa was going to know about that)_

_Elsa giggled "I wonder why" she joked._

_Joseph gave her a glare. "no I am not going to tell you Elsa. That was a very dark day in the history of my life. Rapunzel's parents would have strangled me if said girl wasn't there to help me out that day." He said with a glower_

_Elsa's eyes widened. Now she really wanted to know what happened (she could always call Rapunzel, but what was the fun in that). She pouted giving Joseph a puppy dog face._

_Joseph's eyes widened. That evil little…. Elsa taught Rapunzel that look! He could never say no to Rapunzel when she gave him that look,(except when she threatened to kill him for it) what hope did he have of overcoming Elsa? _

_He looked away, trying not to look at her. It was his only hope of not telling her. Unfortunately she decided to add sniffles to it, assaulting his ears._

_No no! he would not waver. But his resolve was weakening. But he could not give Elsa the satisfaction of knowing the dreaded horror that happened. He looked at Elsa straight in the eye. Bad move. Elsa was giving him the saddest look. No no! he would not tell her!_

_ "I destroyed it!" he cried. Nooooooooooooooooooooooo! Ok well he wasn't going to tell her how!_

_Elsa grinned. That never failed. _

_"Care to tell me how?"_

_Joseph however back away, no no no no! he had already caved to telling her what. He was not going to tell her how!_

_So he did what any mature man would do. He turned and ran._

_Elsa gasped before getting up and chasing him! There was no way she was going to let him get away with not telling her what happened._

_She never caught him, but their laughter could be heard throughout the park._

The two lovers laughed at the memory. Elsa never found out what happened that day, but she was ok with that for now. She would find out eventually (maybe with a little blackmail…)

Joseph was never able to say no to Elsa whenever she gave him the puppy dogface. It ran within the females of her family. Her father couldn't say no to her mother, so on and so forth.

The two continued to walk through the park. It was far past midday, and the two of them hadn't eaten lunch, so perhaps it would be best if they should eat some lunch.

It would certainly be a fair setting. It was a very beautiful day. Elsa felt her stomach rumble. She was in the mood for something to eat. She looked at Joseph who was giving her a sly grin.

"Hungry snowflake?" he asked. In truth he was very hungry too.

Elsa nodded, placing her head on his chest as they walked through the park. The park wasn't that large, so it wouldn't take them too long to walk through it, before heading out to a restaurant in the town.

The two shared a fair amount of cuisine in common, despite being from different backgrounds. Neither of them were particularly picky for anything.

Luckily there was a bistro that served amazing European food. it was one of their favorite places to go (besides the diner), but they rarely went because they wanted it to feel special. Since they were engaged, it was definitely a special occasion.

Elsa smiled. She was very happy to share this moment, as well as simply having it. The park was gorgeous. She couldn't wait to see it in winter.

She probably couldn't have her wedding here at the park (it was in the city; the traffic would be noisy, not to mention the media could easily sneak up on them), so perhaps when they found a place to hold the wedding, perhaps she should have an outdoor reception. It would certainly be a change from what Anna had done with her own wedding.

Sure it would be cold, but it wouldn't be so terrible (at least in the sense that people would have to bundle up so much to feel warm) Elsa had always felt at home with the cold anyway.

Either way, she would just be glad that her family and friends could join her (when they sent the invitations anyway.)

Elsa and Joseph walked to the bistro, feeling quite hungry now. Elsa remembered the first time they had ever been to that bistro.

_Joseph and Elsa were sitting at the table. It had been a very long day and the two lovers were looking forwards to a nice relaxing evening. The two had found the bistro quite by accident, but right now it seemed to be the perfect place for the both of them._

_They had already eaten dinner. It had been quite the surprise when they had ordered the food; they hadn't expected such a wide palette of food to be available at this one restaurant._

_However the two were now waiting for their desert, the best chocolate cake they would ever hope to have._

_As the waiter brought the cake to the table, Elsa could feel her mouth begin to water. This place served amazing entrees. The desserts could no doubt be just as exquisite. _

_Joseph chuckled as he saw Elsa's reaction to the cake. Elsa could be a chocoholic when she wanted to be. This would probably be one of those times (if she went crazy, he would blame it one the sugar)_

_He was by no means any different. Chocolate was one of his own favorites to. But when it came down to it, Elsa would definitely have him beat, no matter the situation._

_The cake came to them and the two wasted no time in eating it. The cake tasted absolutely amazing. _

_It seemed that Elsa was enjoying the most though. Joseph peaked at Elsa. Despite her regal poise while she ate the cake, every time she took a bite, her eyes lit up with pleasure._

_Oh god the chances of her going on a sugar rush; the thought alone was scary. She would probably order more cake (there wasn't anything he could do about it really, when Elsa had her mind made up it was nearly impossible to change it.) then he would have to deal with Elsa having chocolate induced mood swings on the way home. Oh joy._

_Until then though the two of them might as well enjoy the dessert. The cake had quite the flavor for it was a very moist chocolate cake, by far one of the best cakes that the two ever had._

_He just hoped the kitchen could handle their inevitable return._

_Elsa finished her cake slice, then gave Joseph a warm smile. It seemed that she had really enjoyed herself._

_Joseph returned the grin. He was glad that they could share this moment together. No doubt they would return her in the future, but that could wait._

Elsa giggled at the thought of returning to that bistro. Since the two were fairly regular, the staff enjoyed the company that she and Joseph gave them whenever they would visit the restaurant.

It was one of the best places she had ever been to, there was no doubt about that. It was just so difficult to not go sometimes. It was mostly due to the fact that her chocolate addiction could and would, usually cause grief for everyone whenever she ended up on a sugar rush. In the past she and Anna were known for being chaotic whenever they were on a sugar rush.

Kai and Gerda at one point had to banish chocolate from the house for a month. Unfortunately it resulted in the two becoming so depressed and clingy that they could barely function without chocolate in their system. Kai and Gerda had never tried that again. it had been so horrible, and they never wanted to put the girls through that experience again (for their own sanity)

Elsa giggled at the memory. Joseph had had to deal with a sugar rush from her on one occasion. It had been during that time of month, so the two had been in quite a quarrel

_Elsa woke up in the middle of the night. According to her clock, it was half past three. And she was not happy. Her abdomen was cramping and she had a major craving. chocolate._ _She really needed chocolate right now. Turning to her side, she tried desperately to ignore the pain in her abdomen. Great it was that time of month and it as affecting her at the worst time in the night._

_She got up from the bed and made her way to the kitchen. She found her way to the cabinet where she kept her chocolate and opened it. her excitement however turned to horror when she saw there was absolutely no chocolate to be found. She made her way to the fridge, hoping to find some ice cream but there was not even the tiniest carton of yogurt either._

_Oh hell no! she was going to get her chocolate even if she had to wake up everyone in the world. she stomped back to the bedroom and slapped Joseph. He woke up with a yelp_

_"woah!" he cried. Looking up he saw Elsa giving him the glare of nightmares. "El-Elsa?" he asked groggily. "Bring. Me. Chocolate." She said slowly_

_Joseph stared at her. "Elsa its three in the—"_

_Elsa grabbed his shoulders and shook him violently "CHOCOLATE!" she yelled._

_Joseph immediately jumped out of bed and ran out the door. Elsa sat back on the bed. Grumpily waiting for him to return._

Elsa laughed. sure it hadn't exactly been one of the finer moments in her life, but it had to be done. No one on this planet would deny her of the chocolate she loved so much.

The bistro was just up ahead. Elsa could already feel her mouth water. Chocolate was a part of her life and there was not one person who would ever be able to change that.

Joseph glanced at Elsa. She would definitely be getting that chocolate cake for dessert. It was among her favorites.

The couple smiled at each other. They were ready for a very good lunch


	9. Chapter 9

**Happy New Year Folks! I hope you had a wonderful New Years! Please enjoy this new chapter. **

**Also because this story is built with flashbacks, please, if you would like to see something, don't hesitate to ask. Also please give me feedback on what you like so far.**

* * *

A low hum was heard across the small studio that Rapunzel worked in for it was she who was humming the tune. It was a daily thing for her, each day she would just sing the tune that came to mind, no matter what it was. It didn't hurt that she had the entire studio to herself, at least for the moment. She always loved to work on her art, whether it be early, late or during the weekends (as was the case at the moment). Rapunzel had been told she was practically the happiest person on the planet; there was so little that could bring her down. She had such a sense of optimism rivaled only by her cousin Anna.

Ironically it hadn't always been that way. During her childhood, her parents were not around very often. They had to work late hours at their jobs and left her in the care of her neglectful abusive nanny Gothel. Gothel was a monster plain and simple as that. Every time her parents left, the woman would constantly berate Rapunzel for the simplest of things or force her to do things that could easily hurt a young child. Rapunzel simply took it, not really knowing what to do with the situation. She had been a scared little girl. Sure Gothel never threatened her exactly, at least not with death, but the girl had been so scared of the woman that she was too afraid to reveal the abuse to her parents.

However that had all changed when Rapunzel was thirteen. The day her best friend saved her life and showed her a different side of life, one that Rapunzel could be free to enjoy forever. Rapunzel had never been happier since that day, the day she could finally stand up to Gothel.

To say that Rapunzel was scared even then was an understatement. She had been afraid that Gothel would hurt her more severely than ever before. But in the end, her courage finally won out and Gothel would forever pay for the crimes that she committed. Even better Rapunzel's parents, finally aware of their daughters pain, managed to work a schedule that allowed them to spend more time with her.

Rapunzel finally had everything she could want in life. It had all been worth it in the end, despite the pain the she had felt during the healing process. The trial had been the worst of it all. Gothel and her attorney had tried to discredit Rapunzel. Why would she wait so long to tell anyone about the abuse? That was one of the many questions that she had faced during that time in her life.

She would be glad never to do that ever again.

But that was in the past now and she just wanted to have a glorious future with the people she cared about the most. She was still a young woman, and she had barely discovered everything that life at to offer.

She may be happier than she had ever been, but she was always finding a new dream to chase.

One such time had been several months after the horrific trial. Having spent most of her time locked in her room, Rapunzel developed an affinity for the arts, particularly painting. There had been an art gallery in town. Rapunzel had been excited and worried about it. She wanted to take it there so badly. While she had the support of her parents and her newfound friend, Gothel had always treated her poorly and belittled her to the point that she had little self-confidence to herself or her abilities.

Thankfully a good pep talk managed to get her to her senses

_Rapunzel's brush stroked against the canvas, the bright colors standing out brilliantly against the canvas. It was her first painting since she heard of the gallery. It expressed her happiness the sun shining brightly over the cliff side. A waterfall was cascading down into a river. The painting was inspired by several landscapes that she had seen in books that she had read growing up. _

_It was good enough to get into the art gallery, but Rapunzel wasn't sure. Sure enough to send it in._

_Rapunzel frowned her lips in a tight position as she finished the last stroke on her painting. She enjoyed her painting. It was ready and finished. Now she just had to let it dry._

_She put her paint on the nearby table and sat at her window. She stared out and the neighborhood street. The kids were playing in the street happy as could be._

_If only she had been that happy when she was at that age._

_Her thoughts were interrupted when a knock on her door. "come in" she called. The door opened revealing her mother. The older woman gave Rapunzel a small smile. "Rapunzel honey, why are you in here? Shouldn't you be out there?" _

_Rapunzel turned to the window again. Her mother was right. She should be out there with all the other kids. But the other kids wouldn't accept her. She was the outcast. She had spent most of her life alone and had no one._

_Well except for Joseph. She had him. She was safe because of him. _

_Primrose then noticed the painting Rapunzel had made. Rapunzel, what is that?" she examined the painting closely admiring the craftsmanship that Rapunzel had put into it. _

_"Rapunzel?" She asked, "did you do this?"_

_Rapunzel glanced at her mother nodding. Primrose smiled. "You must take it to the art gallery Rapunzel, they will love this." _

_Rapunzel shrugged "its not that special mother"_

_Primrose grimaced "Rapunzel, that's not true, you are a wonderful artist." _

_Rapunzel huffed; she didn't believe her mother. "noo…" she whispered silently, almost so much that Primrose didn't hear her. _

_Primrose grimaced and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Rapunzel, I thought we talked about this. If you want to do something all you have to do is ask."_

_Rapunzel turned to her mother. "Are you sure?"_

_Primrose smiled "Rapunzel, you have confidence. You are a smart woman. You use your imagination as your resources. Let it be your power. Let it shine."_

_Rapunzel's face broke into a grin and she hugged her mother "Thank you." _

Rapunzel grinned remembering the memory fondly. It had been one of many talks that her mother had given her over the years and she took it to heart. She went through life happily and freely.

There were plenty of other times that she would be given those talks. It would be many years before she felt confident enough on her own. Thankfully, her family and friends never left her side.

Rapunzel laughed as she continued to paint her painting. It had been sometime since she had seen her family or friends (not counting her husband Eugene). She had visited her parents several days ago, though they hadn't all gotten together since Anna's wedding three months ago. That had been a very fun day.

Even more so was the strange reunion between her husband and best friend. Looking back it had been one of the most hilarious things that could ever happen to a person, though Rapunzel wished it was handled better.

_Rapunzel had managed to pull her friend from Elsa for a moment. Though they had caught up at the diner, the two had had very little time to officially catch up with each other. Rapunzel really couldn't blame him, he was very infatuated with Elsa, so spending time with her was pretty much on the top of his list of things to do._

_"so, Rapunzel…" Joseph said with a smirk. "Primrose told me a very interesting story…" he told her. _

_Rapunzel stared at Joseph innocently "what did she tell you?" she was playing dumb and they both knew it. He only ever said that when he was ready to tease her._

_Joseph laughed "Oh I don't know. Some nonsense about you getting married. Personally I can't believe it."_

_Rapunzel gave him a mock glare, practically stabbing him with her finger as she started to give him a speech. "And just what makes you think I'm not marriage material? As I recall, there were plenty of guys after me in high school!"_

_"As I recall, no one managed to get within hearing distance of you whenever I was around." Joseph retorted._

_Rapunzel laughed before flashing him her ring hand "well too bad Mr. body guard. I've been hitched"_

_Joseph laughed "really to who?"_

_"me"_

_Joseph froze. His eyes went wide and Rapunzel, much to her surprise, noticed a look of anger on his face. like the "oh no!" type of anger. Turing around, they both noticed Rapunzel's husband Eugene Fitzherbert, giving them a charming smile._

_Rapunzel gave her husband a smile, before going to his side and pecking his cheek "Eugene honey I want you to meet my old friend Joseph. Joseph this is my Husband"_

_Joseph however interrupted her "Flynn Rider." _

_Rapunzel was confused "Flynn?" she asked giving her husband a look of confusion. Eugene just shrugged. Joseph however said "oh he didn't tell you? A couple years back, Eugene and I were in the army together. In the same company in fact. Called himself Flynn Rider. One day he thought it would be really funny to play a prank on every soldier in the unit. We couldn't really do anything about it."_

_Rapunzel stared at him "you know each other?" she turned to Eugene "why didn't you tell me?" Eugene however was too nervous to answer _

_Eugene suddenly started to sweat. "come on… your not still mad about that are you?_

_ He gave Joseph a charming smile. Joseph however started to crack his knuckles._

_ Eugene gulped and tried to back away. Unfortunately Joseph suddenly reared his hand back and punched Eugene straight in the nose. Eugene gave a gargled cry "my nose!" he cried, his hands flying up to said body part_

_"that is for the prank you pulled!" Joseph growled. Eugene, groaned in pain, letting his hand fall for a moment. bad move because in the next instant, his hands were back on his nose again. " are you trying to break my nose?" he snapped_

_Joseph just gave him a grin "and that was for marrying my best friend."_

_Rapunzel just stood there not sure to laugh or reprimand the two men. She groaned. This was going to be a long day." _

Rapunzel wasn't a liar, that was the funniest thing she had seen that day (though Elsa had taken Joseph and practically yelled at him like there was no tomorrow, though Rapunzel had noticed her and Anna giggling at the affair, so Elsa was probably only doing it to hide her amusement)

In the end though Eugene and Joseph apologized to one another and the wedding continued without any more problems.

Rapunzel smiled. Growing up an only child, the closest thing she had to a big brother was Joseph (though they were only a few months apart) he really acted like it as well. growing up he was really protective of Rapunzel (no doubt to the fact she had been abused by Gothel prior to meeting him)

He really had been a breath of fresh air. She had been sad when they were separated by college; she felt like she was going to be alone again. despite this by then she had matured greatly from the scared little girl that she once was (though she was still naïve and clumsy)

Thankfully however, her college roommate Merida was ever bit the protective friend Joseph was. The two still kept in contact, but Merida was long gone looking for her freedom.

Rapunzel was thankful to have these friends in her life.

She continued to hum her tune. As she worked her painting her thoughts wandered to her older cousin Elsa. Elsa was by definition the older sister Rapunzel never had (what a coincidence). Elsa had taught her a lot growing up (whenever Gothel wasn't around) and Rapunzel couldn't be any happier that her best friend and closest family member ended up together.

Whenever they got married Rapunzel would definitely be there to help out. She could probably ask Elsa to include some of her ideas (though Elsa was pretty good at that)

Rapunzel knew Elsa very well. She would be stubborn about every aspect of the wedding (that Kai and Gerda would allow anyway). That included any ideas that Anna and Rapunzel came up with. Elsa was going to make sure that everything about the wedding went well.

Rapunzel smiled, brushing the paint on the canvas. Things seemed to be turning out very well for everyone. After all the hardships that they had over the course of their lives, it felt so good just to be able to have things go right for a change.

Rapunzel just hoped that everything would turn out well for her two friends long after they were married. So far as she knew they were in a happy relationship. It wasn't that hard to see. During the wedding, Elsa and Joseph just couldn't stop staring at each other.

Rapunzel knew that Elsa and Joseph had feelings for each other. The hard part had been getting them together. Elsa was a recluse, while Joseph had a hard time talking to women. Thankfully Rapunzel had the bright idea of inviting Joseph to the wedding.

Rapunzel giggled to herself. It was a really good thing. Those two were perfect for each other.

Rapunzel knew that Joseph would do his best to treat Elsa well. Whenever they had been together, Joseph did his best to treat Rapunzel well (as a friend for they had never dated).

Elsa deserved to be treated well. She had a very difficult time adjusting to things growing up, far more so than Anna.

Rapunzel knew that the death of her Aunt and Uncle hit Elsa very hard and was probably the reason she was the way she was today. Rapunzel had been deeply saddened by it as was Anna, but Elsa had all but suffered an emotional breakdown, and had been heartbroken for months. Not even Anna was able to bring her back from the depths of her despair.

By the time Elsa had recovered, she was a changed woman. As a child she was just like Anna both of them being vivacious and happy. But afterwards Elsa became far more serious and had a distant demeanor, even towards the people she loved most.

Rapunzel of course had been too young to fully understand it, but now that she was older, she under stood it quite well.

As the years passed Elsa had slowly opened up more to others, and became closer to Anna (but she still retained her serious regal demeanor).

Anna on the other hand shared far more with Rapunzel (as least in terms of personality) and the two would get into trouble on more than one occasion, that Elsa would have to bail them out of every now and again.

Rapunzel smiled. Those were the times. Though Rapunzel wasn't as big a fan of chocolate as her two cousins, there was this one time that had the three of them raid Rapunzel's parents kitchen for a chocolate cake that was for a party that would have happened later that evening.

_Rapunzel Anna and Elsa, at the ages of 7,7 and 10 had hastily pushed a chair up to the kitchen counter and proceeded to snag the cake for the counter top. Elsa being the tallest was easily able to reach the cake and take it. Together, the three ran under the table cloth the covered the dining room table and with three forks they had also taken proceeded to eat the entire cake._

_After having the coveted chocolate cake, the three sat with grins on their faces. That chocolate cake had been delicious, and they were happy about it._

_At least until the table cloth lifted and they were greeted with the not at all amused faces of Gerda and Primrose._

_Nobody dared to move. Nobody dared to speak. At least until Anna gave her guardian and Aunt a wave "hi Gerda! Hi Aunt Primrose!" _

_Gerda and Primrose shook their heads and proceeded to pull the three girls out from under the table and take them to the bathtub. _

Rapunzel giggled. That had not been one of her finer moments, but then again, she was a child and she had thought it was a good idea at the time.

It wasn't like that had been the first or last time she and her cousins had ended up in such a predicament either. The three were known for causing trouble whenever they ended up together.

Yes life was good, and right now it just couldn't get much better.

Rapunzel finally finished the details of her painting. She had spent quite a long time working on it today. It could still use a little more work, but she was content with what she had done for now.

Rapunzel stepped back and admired the work she had done. Yep she did it very well. Rapunzel then turned and put away her art supplies. It was still early Saturday (though it was technically past noon) so it would probably be a very good idea to grab some lunch while it was still available. She had spent all morning at the studio so she was bound to be hungry.

Rapunzel left the studio with a very happy spring in her step. She absolutely loved this time of year, with the warm sunshine and the birds singing happily.

She really needed to get out more often. Perhaps she could find Eugene at home later and convince his to walk around town, with her for a while. Its not like she had much of anything else to do today as it was.

Rapunzel smiled. Yep that seemed like a wonderful idea. She quickly made her way to her car and started driving home.


	10. Chapter 10

**Another Chapter! Thank you for following favoring and reviewing! You guys are great! Keep at it!**

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Elsa sat at her window staring into the city. It was her favorite thing to do whenever she needed to think about something. She had a lot of thinking to do, for her wedding of course. Who to invite, the theme, everything needed to be done perfectly; at least as perfect as it could be done.

Elsa sighed. That was one of the problems that she was going to have with the wedding. Her invitations. Or rather, a certain pair of people that both her and her fiancé were going to have problems with.

Each others parents.

Kai and Gerda in no way hated Joseph; they thought that he was a wonderful person, and was a great friend. The problem that they had with him was not his personality, it was that they thought that his relationship with Elsa had happened entirely to fast. They had gotten into a relationship after only knowing each other for a few days. Elsa had taken him to the wedding without informing Kai and Gerda that she was even dating, and had gotten intimate with him not long after (not that they knew that)

Elsa had always been a sheltered person and had very little experience with people in general. She rarely ever was as outgoing as Anna and had only been in a few relationships before, but none of them had lasted long and went nowhere. And this had been in high school.

Kai and Gerda only wanted her to be safe and Elsa knew that they would never be to sure of that because of Elsa's reclusive nature. Anna was naïve and that had been the reason Elsa had been so upset when Anna had shown up engaged to Hans. With Elsa, it was because she lacked the experience with men that Anna had received. They did not want her to be taken advantage of.

It would be very hard to convince them of blessing, let alone accepting the marriage when they had to tell them about it. Either way, Elsa was going to get married, no matter what anyone said or thought.

Elsa sighed remembering the argument that had gotten her in some trouble the last time she had spoken to Gerda about her relationship.

_Elsa walked to the home that she had grown up in. it was several days after the wedding and Kai and Gerda had called her asking to see her that morning. The drive had been a fairly long one, but Gera ad insisted on seeing Elsa in person. It wasn't like Elsa had much of anything else to do. Joseph had to work and she didn't start until tomorrow any way. Gerda said that they needed to talk, so thats what Elsa was going to do._

_Elsa sighed. She had grown up in this house, but had moved into the city nearby after graduating. Kai and Gerda still lived here though, and they took care of the house. Neither Anna nor Elsa had any real desire to return to their former home, mainly because they felt it still belonged to their parents. It was just to painful to stay there._

_Elsa unlocked the door and walked in. to her surprise, Kai and gerda were right there in the foyer waiting for her. Kai had his face in his hands, while Gerda was standing there, looking upset over something._

_No doubt the impending conversation._

_Elsa crossed her arms, giving her former guardian a frown. She knew that whatever Gerda had to say was not going to end very well._

_"Elsa…." Gerda said, her voice strained with worry. Elsa waved her hand "Gerda please. What is it you want to say?" Elsa snapped. _

_Gerda fidgeted "we are just worried sweetheart. This man…. Joseph… why haven't we met him before… you never spoke of him before the wedding, and then you invite him!" Gerda's voice increased to a small yell as she finished her sentence._

_Elsa bit her lip. It was true she should have told Gerda, but it honestly never crossed her mind to. "Gerda, we were just friends, I didn't think I needed to tell you anything."_

_"were?" Gerda inquired._

_Elsa gasped, her cheeks growing warm as she realized her mistake._

_Kai let his hand fall and he was now staring at Elsa with shock "Elsa, how long have you been in a relationship with him?"_

_Elsa gritted her teeth, groaning in frustration. "since after the wedding…"_

_Gerda gasped her hands going to her mouth. "Elsa… what have you done?"_

_"why is it my love life is so important to you right now? I've known him for two months! And in those two months we've learned more about each other. We've told each other things that have never been said to anyone else! I love him!"_

_Elsa finished her tirade, breathing heavily "if you don't want to accept him, fine! But don't ask me to break up with him now, because I won't. " Elsa then turned away and walked out the door._

Elsa grimaced slightly at the memory. Following that day she had very little contact with her guardians. She knew that they were only looking out for her, but that was no reason to just ignore the fact she was in a relationship. The reason they approved of Kristoff was because Anna had introduced him as a friend long before they had ever started dating. It gave them time to get to know him. With Joseph he was going to be family, but far to quickly for their liking.

They might take a while to warm up to him now, but they had no choice. Kai and Gerda might take a while to warm up to her fiancé, but they certainly weren't hateful individuals; they had never been antagonistic towards anyone, just because they wanted to.

Elsa giggled slightly. Kristoff had nearly been put through torture when Kai and Gerda had met him. They had profiled him so easily when Anna first brought him home. It had been quite the hilarious affair. No doubt it was going to be they same for the long road to the wedding.

If Kai and Gerda, never accepted him, then Elsa was content knowing that the rest of her family accepted her decisions. It was her choice not theirs.

Kai and Gerda had been somewhat tough on the two girls growing up; it was hard for them. They never had any children of their own, so when it came time to raise the girls themselves, they did the best that they could. It was all they could do for Anna and Elsa at that point in time.

Elsa did have to wonder, what would have happened if her parents were still alive? Would her parents approve of her choices? Adgar and Idun were known for their kindness, and while they were fairly strict when it was needed, they had trusted that their daughters would make the right choices when it came down to it (but since Elsa and Anna were only kids when they were killed in the car crash, they didn't get to worry about that.)

If anything Elsa was glad that Anna at least approved, and everyone seemed to get along well. Also, just the fact he was friends with her cousin made her feel a whole lot better as well.

And what of Joseph's parents? Like Elsa he had very little contact with them, but unlike Elsa, it wasn't because there was a level of distrust or anger between them (though he was angry at their nomadic ways). They were just constantly traveling, so Joseph had very little reason to call them or anything, because they could be anywhere far from an area were they could be called.

As such, if Joseph had ever spoken to them about Elsa, the question was, would they approve?

Elsa was not one to beg for acceptance, she just did her best to show her worth. She might never get that chance of course, but that was hardly a problem, considering that she might never have to prove herself to Joseph's parents.

It was kind of sad though that neither pair of parents could be in the lives of their children or the rest of the family for that matter. Joseph and his parents rarely ever spoke and it would be saddening if they could not be involved.

Elsa sighed. If that was going to end up being the price, then they would just have to go with it.

Elsa shivered slightly. Kai and Gerda were her guardians. She loved them. She couldn't imagine a life where her guardians could no longer have a part to play in it. but she might just end up having no choice in the matter.

Elsa wanted to have a wonderful life with her family, not matter what. She just wanted to be happy.

Despite having a good lack of experience, Elsa could always turn to Anna or Rapunzel for help when needed, or better yet, Rapunzel's parents, if they no doubt needed help raising children. Anna at least worked in a daycare center.

That honestly would not be her first choice in the matter. She wanted to be the best mother she possibly could when the time came.

Elsa knew that Joseph wanted children as well, but it would be difficult to conceal a wedding and a pregnancy at the same time. They were already on edge whether or not the media would release news of the wedding.

Elsa was honestly in no rush for children. Sure she was in her late twenties, but she was content with waiting until after the wedding to try conceiving a child

Speaking of Joseph, what would his own parents think? Considering that they had a distant relationship (though not strained like Elsa's own relationship with her guardians.) she had to wonder would he tell them about the wedding? Elsa couldn't really be too sure on the matter.

It wasn't that Elsa didn't want to get to know Joseph's parents, she was just simply concerned about being apart of his family and whether or not she would end up being accepted by them. Joseph never had a chance to introduce any other girl to them, at least in the sense of romantics, because they were never in the same country. To find out that your child getting married to the first girl that he brought home to meet you is a pretty big thing.

Elsa was not one to be extremely confident in herself. There had been plenty of times in her life where she had doubts and this was of no exception. Joseph was her first major relationship and there had been plenty of times when she wondered if she would fail at it.

There had been one point oddly enough, where she had though Joseph and Rapunzel had been in a relationship and wondered if her presence in Joseph's life was hurting Rapunzel in some manner. But because Rapunzel was married long before Elsa met Joseph, there wasn't much to worry about.

At one point, Elsa had even asked Rapunzel if the two had been in a relationship. Needless to say, it turned out to be one of the most awkward conversations ever.

_Elsa was with Rapunzel. The two had decided to go shopping for some last minute shopping for accessories before the wedding (which was a few weeks away). Everything was prepared, for the most part (Anna couldn't stop going on about the wedding either.)_

_Elsa was happy for her sister, she really was, but there was something else on her mind, and it had to do with a certain man she had been seeing lately._

_She found herself very attracted to Joseph these days; after spending so much time with him, she just couldn't help it. Yet she found herself wondering about her younger cousin as well._

_Rapunzel had told Elsa that she and Joseph had met during their early teens and had spent all of high school together before going their separate ways for college. That meant several years of getting to know each other. Was it possible…_

_Elsa turned to Rapunzel, who was looking at a necklace that looked more like it had been a tiara in its past life. It had several large jewels that hung around the neck._

_Elsa fidgeted nervously. It really wouldn't be the best thing to ask, but she needed to know._

_"Rapunzel?" she asked softly. Rapunzel turned to her older cousin, her green eyes wide with happiness "yes Elsa" she asked._

_Elsa looked down at her feet, her face going red. Why was she doing this? "can I ask you about Joseph…" she muttered barely audible_

_Rapunzel looked at Elsa oddly "what was that?"_

_Elsa sighed, she looked at her cousin and asked "Can I ask you about Joseph?" _

_Rapunzel stared at her cousin. This certainly was an odd question. "what do you want to know?" she asked_

_Elsa grimaced slightly, before blurting out "were you and Joseph…. Ever… you know… together?" she asked hesitantly_

_Rapunzel's eyes widened and she went red… before she suddenly bursting out laughing so hard that she doubled over wheezing._

_Elsa certainly wasn't expecting that reaction from her younger cousin. She just stood there waiting for Rapunzel to regain her composure._

_Rapunzel stood up again, still laughing. She wiped her eyes. "Elsa…" she chuckled "why are you asking me that?"_

_Elsa shook her head "nothing forget I asked…"_

_Rapunzel frowned "Elsa… Joseph… he was a very sheltered boy when I met him, at least when it came to girls… he had crushes on many of them, he told me so. But he never asked because he was scared."_

_Elsa stared her younger cousin "you mean… he was alone throughout all that time?"_

_Rapunzel nodded "yes. I mean… I did have a tiny crush on him when we first met and all…" she stopped noticed Elsa's look of shock "ok yes I liked him, and I think he liked me too." Elsa gasped_

_Rapunzel shook her head "Elsa… Think about it. I was his first real friend. Is it odd that we may have developed feelings for one another?"_

_Elsa clenched her fists unnerved by her cousins words. Joseph had had feelings for Rapunzel? Granted it was a decade ago and understandably it had past, at least for Rapunzel. But did Joseph move on? Was it possible that he was with her because of Rapunzel? He never brought her up, so maybe it didn't matter_

_Rapunzel placed a hand on Elsa's shoulder "Elsa… I've seen the way he looks at you… he stares at you like your to only woman it the room. That's never happened to him before"_

_ Elsa looked in Rapunzel's eyes. Joseph really did love her. _

Elsa smiled. That hadn't been her most comfortable moment, particularly with Rapunzel. Sure it was a decade ago and obviously, she wasn't the first person to get with Joseph, but clearly she was his first great love.

Joseph had treated her like a queen in every sense of the word, and he never stopped spoiling her whenever he got the chance to (much to her annoyance and pleasure).

Elsa wasn't really a clingy or materialistic lover, so some of the things Joseph did for her were really unnecessary sometimes, but it couldn't be helped. She loved him for who he was and knew he felt the same for her.

She had a feeling he would do it for the rest of her life and during the lives of their children if he could (though Elsa wanted to make sure she didn't spend her time spoiling her children at every turn, one hyperactive child would be enough, a spoiled one would be far to much for her to handle.)

Elsa smiled. She was happy and that was all that she could ask for. When the time came she would be married and eventually have children. Whether or not Kai and Gerda accepted her life was indeed the question, but Elsa was content with her own life so why should she complain?

Anna and Kristoff would always be beside her and that was more than she deserved as it was. They had always been there for her when she needed them to be and she couldn't thank them enough.

She loved Kai and Gerda she really did, but it would be impossible to deal with their constant resistance if they weren't going to be accepting of her fiancé.

It would work out how it worked out. For Elsa, she just wanted to make sure everything would go smoothly for her wedding. That was the most important thing for her right now. If Kai and Gerda were to attend and be supportive of her decision then she would be all to happy to oblige to that. If they weren't then so be it.

She wanted them to help her. Like they always had.

Elsa frowned. That was going to be the one thing that worried her the most. It would be so rude of them not to attend her wedding when they had attended Anna's. Joseph's parents would probably not attend, so wouldn't it be great if Kai and Gerda could?

Elsa glanced out into the horizon. The sun was starting to set. She glanced down at her engagement ring. Had it really been a full day since she had gotten engaged? It had gone by so fast that she just couldn't believe it.

It had been one of the greatest days of her life, and she wouldn't, couldn't forget it.

Elsa smiled. It would be so worth it in the end.

Elsa turned away from the window and went to the kitchen. Going to a drawer she pulled out several cards. They were some invitations that she needed to write so she might as well do that. She still needed to plan the wedding, so she decided it would be best to start now.


	11. Chapter 11

**Back with another chapter. This one has a little surprise, one for the characters and one for the readers! Enjoy!**

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Unfortunately for the happy couple, the weekend ended and the two were forced to return to work (not that they were going to complain, they both loved their jobs). For Elsa she had to return to the glorious world of ice skating while Joseph had to return to the office.

If there was one thing that Joseph was not looking forward about going to the office, it was going to be telling everyone that he was engaged. Everyone in the office loved to tease him about his relationship (good naturedly of course), but the swore that they just wanted to embarrass him to death.

Even so, it would be most welcome at the moment. He loved his friends and coworkers. They were like family to him. They would be among the first he would invite to his wedding, if his parents couldn't make it. He just didn't want to endure the constant teasing telling them the news. They loved to do that to everyone at work whenever something important was going on.

It would be a rough morning, but it had to be done, so might as well get it over with right.

Joseph walked into the office a wide grin on his face. None to his surprise, everyone turned to look at him, giving him smiles of their own and extending their greetings to him.

He smiled. His co-workers were generally a friendly bunch of people (save for a few who hated the fact he was the CEO despite minimal time at the company) and he couldn't ask for anyone better to share his workdays with.

As he made his way to his office, his secretary, a woman with light brown hair and tan skin walked up to him.

"Sir?" she asked uncertainly.

Joseph couldn't help but chuckle. Amy was quite the uncertain little woman. She was so meek sometimes, but Joseph didn't ask, because he was afraid to cause her to have a meltdown. She was confident at times, but whenever she was not, it was best to appease her.

He gave her a charming smile and asked "what is it mamn?"

Amy bit her lip "a woman is here to see you, a Merida Dunbroch." She said

All at once a cold bucket of ice water seemed to fall on Joseph. Merida. He gulped. He wasn't sure whether to be flattered or annoyed. Why would Merida come to see him at his office?

He had met Merida many years ago, while he and Rapunzel were still in college. At the time, he had still been a man who was really not that good with girls. Despite liking a few in his life, it was difficult for him to start a conversation with one.

Rapunzel decided to do her thing and help him out a little. It was the least she could do considering the fact that they had been friends for so long.

_ Rapunzel led Joseph into her shared apartment a grin on her face. Joseph was confused by Rapunzel's attitude. He had come up to visit her, and she seemed a little more sly than usual this time. _

_"You are going to love her!" Rapunzel squealed with joy as she continued to drag Joseph into the apartment_.

_Joseph was completely confused. Sure she must be talking about a roommate, because there was no one else who would be here._

_Suddenly a door slammed open and out walked a girl around Rapunzel's height but with shockingly curly red hair and blue eyes._

_Joseph felt his heart stop at that moment._

_The girl was breathtakingly beautiful, but also intimidating, because she was giving him a fierce glare. She was a little short than Rapunzel, but she seemed to have a little more attitude in her step. Her hair unlike Rapunzel's own long and blond, was curly and red, but seemed to be just as long as Rapunzel's was, probably longer, if they were straightened out._

_"Lass who is this!" she shouted with a thick Scottish accent. Boy she was a loud one wasn't she?_

_she stomped right up to them and started going red, a blush staining her cheeks. Her gaze was obviously toward him, as she was subtly, looking at his toned muscles_

_Joseph tried to hold back his own blush, while Rapunzel started with the introductions. She didn't even notice that the two were checking each other out whatsoever_

_"Merida, this is the guy I told you about."_

_Merida glanced at Rapunzel briefly before laughing, dissolving into snorts. "Lass, you didn't tell me he was cute!"_

_Joseph wanted to melt. She was a bold one wasn't she? He had never been called cute by any girl (except for Rapunzel, but she was his friend, so that didn't count.)_

_Rapunzel giggled "well I couldn't spoil everything now could I?" she asked her roommate, unaware of the undertone of her friend's words. _

_Merida smiled "Maybe not." She agreed._

That had been the first of many meetings between the two of them over the years. of course, due to his shyness around woman, he hadn't done so much talking around Merida as Rapunzel did, but eventually, he got over his shyness and started to open up more.

However it wasn't until his 21st birthday, did he reveal to Merida that he was in love with her. 3 long years after meeting her.

_Joseph was with his friends that year Rapunzel and Merida, and they were partying like there was no tomorrow. Sure all of them were legal (or at least going to be, Rapunzel and Merida were not going to be for a few months), but they were jut happy to see Joseph happy._

_Joseph was sitting in a chair enjoying a piece of his cake, when Merida came by and sat down next to him._

_Glancing up at her, Joseph nearly choked when he saw her. She was wearing a rather tight dress that showed off her curves and… other things. She wasn't wearing too much make up, but to him her face was shining. Her smile was small, but her gaze showed him that she was happy._

_Merida giggled slightly. "You ok lamb?" she asked him._

_He couldn't answer her; he was bereft of any and all words. His breath caught and a sudden overwhelming urge to kiss the beautiful woman in front of him was making itself known._

_Merida kissed his nose "cat got your tongue—" she never got to finish her sentence because at that moment, Joseph caught her in a passionate kiss._

Joseph shook off the memory. It had been years ago. His feelings for Merida had long since been eclipsed by Elsa, and the two of them had lost contact not long after he left college.

Joseph sighed and thanked his secretary, before entering his office. There sitting at his desk, was the woman who had once captured his heart. She was holding onto his picture of Elsa.

"Merida." He said coolly. He was not comfortable talking with Merida about his love life, especially considering the history that they had.

Merida glanced at him. She was older. It had been a few years, but she had grown slightly. But she was still as beautiful as the day that they had met (and last saw each other unfortunately)

She was giving him a smile. It wasn't seductive, therefore she wasn't here for reasons that other woman might have been here for.

She placed the picture down on the desk and walked towards him, before wrapping her arms around him. Joseph gulped. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to do this. he hadn't hugged Merida in years. Shyly, he wrapped his arms around her.

"its been years Merida." He said.

Merida let go of him "I…I just wanted to see you." She backed away slightly. Her lip was quivering slightly.

If he had to guess soothing had gone terribly wrong. Or Merida was upset about something involving her parents as usual.

If there was one thing Merida and Joseph had in common, both of them had issues with the quirks that their parents were known for; perhaps one of the reasons that they had bonded in the first place.

Joseph sighed "what is it Merida?"

Merida glanced down "My mother wants me to get married"

Joseph almost chuckled, but refrained from doing so. "As I recall Merida, you weren't ready for marriage."

Merida's eyes blazed with anger. He had struck a nerve. "I'm not! I may be 25, but maybe I don't want to get married."

Merida sighed and rubbed her forehead "Joseph, I know things didn't end well between us, but marriage…" she sighed and fell onto the desk groaning. Joseph then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest.

"Merida…" he whispered. Merida suddenly started shuddering violently, and he could fell tears soak into his shirt. She was crying. She had never cried before. she never even showed him this side of herself. She was always the strong one. The most he ever saw about her whenever she wasn't happy was when she was angry (and you never want to see her angry)

Merida began to talk but her voice was broken with sobs. "my mom… she wants to see me married, but I just don't want to… but…" she stopped her sobs becoming full blown wails of despair.

This was more than just about marriage.

"Merida…" Joseph chided "what's wrong with Elinor?"

Merida mumbled something incoherent. She geld onto her him tighter, her sobs breaking slightly and she tried to tell him what was wrong.

"Pardon?"

Merida looked up at him, her eyes red "My mom… has leukemia." She managed

Joseph felt his heart stop dead. No….Elinor was one of the strongest woman he had ever come to know and she was dying of Leukemia?

Merida could still remember the day that she learned her mother was dying.

_Merida was laughing, as she and her mother were horseback riding through the day. It was one of her hobbies whenever she was off the archery team or not running her classes. Her horse, which she had affectionately named Angus (like her motorcycle)_

_Was trotting along side her mother and her own horse. Elinor looked quite queenly while riding her horse and did so gracefully._

_"Mom!" Merida cried, "race ya over to that tree!" Merida began galloping, leaving her mother in the dust. The wind was blowing through her hair and it felt so good. She neared the tree laughing. Looking behind her, she shot her mother a gleeful glare._

_Or she would have, if Elinor wasn't lying on the ground, while her horse was running toward Merida, rider less _

_Merida immediately stopped Angus, her playful mood gone. Panic began to set in her heart as she dismounted her horse and ran to her mother._

_Merida crouched to the ground, screaming her mother's name. But Elinor didn't budge. Blood was trickling down her nose._

_Merida gasped. What was wrong with her mother? Quickly, she gathered the older woman into her arms, and all but ran towards the stables, screaming for them to call 911. _

Merida returned to sobbing as she told the story to her old friend.

Joseph was silent trough the ordeal. He had only met Merida's parents on a few occasions (ne being the dance that Rapunzel's school held) and Merida seemed to have some issues with her mother over her father (he once called Merida 'daddy's little princess and received a punch to the face for it.) but her mother was almost always trying to control her (or that's how Merida felt at least)

"I'm sorry…" He said as tears began to slowly slide down his own cheeks. "Merida, if you need me, I can set Elinor up with some of the best doctors I know."

Joseph truly felt sorry for Merida. Though she and her mother had never gotten along much, he wished that Elinor wouldn't have to suffer the way that she was being forced to right now.

Merida pulled him closer, and without warning, grabbed his shirt color, pulled him down and smashed her lips into his own. He could feel her desperation in her kiss. It was raw and angry. Full of desire.

Joseph responded immediately. His lips began moving in tandem with Merida's and he could feel the desire heat up. His arms found Merida's side and he held her close.

Elsa….

There had once been a time where he would have done nothing but enjoy Merida's rather forceful embrace. He had once yearned for it. but after several years of being apart and meeting another woman, Joseph didn't want to be kissed by another woman

Realizing his mistake, Joseph knew what he had done was wrong.

Joseph quickly pulled away and roughly pushed Merida back. It was harder than he intended, but he was shocked. Merida was forceful, but she was never like this. he stumbled back, holding his lips

Merida was staring at him with horror. If it was because she had kissed him, or because he had rejected her he didn't know. But he felt angry. He had just kissed his former girlfriend. Or rather kissed back. He wasn't going to betray Elsa. He loved her too much for that.

He scowled "Merida… I'm engaged."

Merida shuddered "Joseph.. I" she knew that he was right. Merida had lost any right to touch him, or kiss him. He had moved on. In a way, maybe she hadn't. Joseph had been her first serious relationship and after they broke up, she never got back into a relationship, choosing to focus on her freedom.

It was foolish for her to think that he would be the same. He had met Elsa and was loving her, kissing her, touching her in all the ways that she deserved to be.

"Don't" he told her "you did and that's all that matters. But I love my fiancée Merida."

Merida looked at the ground "you used to say that to me."

Merida's breath hitched, because of the sentence that came out of her mouth. Truth be told Merida hadn't thought about that in years. Probably because it was she that broke his heart.

_Merida and Joseph were standing by the airport that was going to take them to Scotland. It was the last leg of Josephs trip before he was going to return home. Merida had accompanied him all that time, and the two of them were blissfully in love._

_Joseph felt the ring in his pocket. The ring that he was going o use to propose to Merida. He had thought about for some time now, but wanted to do so at the perfect moment. Sure an airport wasn't practical, but the scenery itself was beautiful._

_Joseph turned to Merida, giving her cheek a quick peck. Merida jumped slightly, because she wasn't expecting it at all, but then she turned and kissed him hard. Joseph smiled as he pulled away. _

_Merida was giving him a loving look, and he felt his heart leap. He stepped back and bent down on one knee. Merida's eyes widened and she gasped as Joseph pulled the ring from his pocket._

_"Merida, you were the first girl that I ever fell in love with. Your stubborn opinionated and strong willed. Will you marry me?"_

_Merida bit her lip and opened her mouth. "I can't". Josephs face fell, but Merida didn't even give him a chance to respond._

_Merida loved Joseph, she really did, but she wasn't ready to get married. She was 22 years old. She had met Joseph four years ago (and dated for 1) but she just wasn't ready to give up her life of independence, even for the man that she loved dearly_

_She turned and ran away. She couldn't face him. She was scared. She continued to run as far away as she possibly could, away from her feelings. Away from the one person at she had ever loved_

Joseph gave her a frown. She had run off just like that and he hadn't heard from her since. He left, returning home, where he eventually met Elsa and he couldn't deny that his feelings for Elsa were much more than he had ever felt for Merida. He still loved her, but it would never be as it used to be.

Either way, it no longer mattered. He could still see Merida as a friend, because he didn't want to lose that.

Merida suddenly grabbed him once again and pulled him close. She didn't kiss him, but instead stared straight into his eyes "I just want you to know, I'll be here for you lad"

Joseph pulled Merida's hand off his collar. The Scot stepped back slightly. "Merida… What we had once was special, I won't deny tha-"

Merida cut him off "I know what you'll say lad." She pulled a card from her purse, which was lying on the desk. "My friend runs a wedding planning service—"

Joseph had to hold back a snort. Merida the woman who never wanted to get married had a friend who ran a wedding planning service.

"So I just wanted to give you this." she placed the card in his hand. Joseph stared at the card "complex wedding plans? Get your status now!" was written in bold black letters

Joseph looked up at Merida, not sure whether to smile or frown. This had likely been Elinor's idea, granted Merida would actually find a husband.

Merida shrugged "I have an extra, and besides you need it more than I do." She folded her arms and gave Joseph a sly grin. "Weddings are big affairs, of course."

Joseph sighed "of course they are." He agreed. He then held the door open. "I think its best you leave."

A hurt look passed over Merida's face, but she managed a smile. As she walked by she traced her hand over his arm, giving him a smile "good luck Joseph." She ten walked out the door.

Joseph closed the door and glanced at the card in his hand. It was quite nice of his former girlfriend to do this for him. Even though he wasn't sure what to do with her, considering their past and her mothers condition.

"Perhaps Elsa and I should go there."


	12. Chapter 12

**Ok I'm please to announce something! I want to thank ComplexStatus and Jacob Flores for inspiration for the chapters to come! Without you two, this chapter would never have been made! Enjoy the story!**

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Merida exited the building, feeling dishearten by her talk with her ex. It wasn't like she had gone over there in any attempt to seduce him or anything, but he had seemed so distant with her. Which of course wasn't his fault considering that she was the one that ran away in the first place. But she couldn't tell him why she had run off. He wouldn't understand… would he even care?

Merida stomped off in no direction in particular. She could use the walk in order to clear her head. She wasn't in any rush to get back to her hotel, because she still had time before needing to leave. Her younger brothers, Hubert Harris and Hamish, were currently with their mother while Merida was away.

As Merida walked off, she couldn't help but feel sad. Joseph had changed so much in the time that they were apart. He had a new fiancée, a new life. A life that she wasn't sure that she could ever be apart of because of the way things had ended between them.

But she couldn't blame Joseph for her mistakes. It was her fault and her fault alone.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that she had even once been a part of his life. When they first met, she did find him attractive (despite being independent and not wanting to do anything romantic at the time).

Her mother would have been so thrilled to see that Merida had an interest in someone and would have been positively overjoyed about Joseph (which she was)

Unfortunately things had not ended well for the couple and Merida had regretted it since that day.

She had lost contact with Joseph, but had moved on with her life, trying desperately to find her place in life, while at the same time deal with the issues that she was now currently facing.

She still kept in touch with Rapunzel, bless that woman, but the two hadn't seen each other since they left college. In short, Merida had all but severed any sort of contact with her friends in her quest for independence, but after a few years of that realized how much she missed them and set out to find them.

It had been seven years ago, but Merida could still remember the day she and Rapunzel met. Not exactly the most graceful of days.

_Merida trudged into her dorm room, her mother and father behind her. It had been a long trip and boy Merida was not in the happiest of moods. It wasn't that she was leaving for college. It was the fact her mother was practically telling her how to act as a first time college student and her father was almost in tears at the prospect of his 'little princess' being on her own for the first time._

_In short, Merida wanted nothing more than for her parents to leave because she was feeling embarrassed at her parents reaction to everything._

_Elinor took Merida's bags and began carefully taking the folded cloths and putting them into the drawer that was in one side of the room. _

_"Now Merida, I hope that you are polite to your room mate."_

_Merida rolled her eyes "yes mom" she said with an annoyed grunt. Her mother was really starting to get on her nerves. "I'm not going to be a dragon lady unless my roommate is."_

_She was interrupted by a loud crash as a young woman in blond stumbled into the room, carrying several large bags, a couple of cans of paint and a frying pan._

_Merida gaped at the girl. The girl was roughly her height, with golden hair that reached down to her hips, a similar build and green eyes. She had a wide smile and was staring straight at Merida._

_Merida could hardly believe a girl around her own size was even capable of carrying so much stuff. Where were her parents? Weren't they helping her?_

_"Hi! You must be Merida!" the girl said, putting down her stuff and going to Merida. She extended her hand "I'm Rapunzel."_

_Merida saw her hand and accepted the hand "I'm Merida." She said coolly. _

_"Wow, you have a Scottish accent!" Rapunzel squealed, as if it were the most amazing thing on the planet._

_Merida bit her lip. Rapunzel was a bundle of energy. "I do." She said politely_

_Rapunzel grinned, "I have the feeling we are going to be good friends."_

And in the end, Merida had no regrets about Rapunzel and their time in college together. The two did almost everything together. Classes, activities, you name it. Sure they had their differences, but they never once had an argument and ended up rooming together throughout their time in college.

Merida was very proud to call Rapunzel her friend and regularly talked to her, but she hoped that to see her again sometime soon.

Merida (like Joseph) had not been able to attend Rapunzel's wedding due to her mother's condition, but thankfully, Rapunzel was not angry with her. Rapunzel was a very sympathetic person, and when Rapunzel had heard about Elinors condition, she wished Merida the best, and offered help whenever she needed it.

Thankfully, Elinors condition hadn't worsened as of yet, but that could always change and as such her father and brothers constantly worried over her. Elinor was a fighter and she would hold on until the end

Merida sighed. She hoped that her mother wasn't suffering. Sure she was getting her treatments, but they had to be almost unbearable, or so she had heard.

Merida had attended some of Elinors treatments and boy there had been times Merida wished that she hadn't seen what she seen. It was heart wrenching to watch her mother be so frail and weak, as opposed to when she was tough and strong.

But Elinor persisted and was doing well in her treatments. As long as she was happy, then all was well for everyone around her.

Merida smiled. Maybe things would turn out well in the end.

On the other hand, Merida wanted to be in her ex's life. She wasn't angry with him; she had left and he had moved on. Elsa, from what she saw, was a very beautiful woman. She was somewhat similar to Rapunzel, having blond hair (though platinum as opposed to Rapunzel's golden blond) and a very beautiful figure.

Merida had to admit; she was jealous. Elsa had Joseph now. They were together, in every way.

Merida's hand tightened into a fist. It wasn't fair! Why hadn't he called her? Why hadn't he come to find her?

Unfortunately Merida knew the answer to that. Not long after she had run away, she had disconnected her phone and changed her number. She had left no way for Joseph to track her down.

Worst day of her life. After she had run off, she had realized her foolish action and ran back, but by the time she had returned, Joseph had already boarded the plane. Even hours later, he refused to return her calls. Merida had been so heartbroken that she cut off any times to him (except Rapunzel)

A few years later, Merida's other had been diagnosed with leukemia. In short life had not been easy for Merida since she had broken up with him. Merida frowned looking at the ground as she walked.

Tears began to leak down her face. She missed him. But it had been her own fault and Joseph had found another woman to love.

She could still remember the first time they kissed.

_Merida walked toward Joseph, who was sitting eating some cake. He looked almost sad; it was his birthday. He should be happy!_

_Merida quickly walked over, putting some sway into her hips. As she closed in he looked up, noticing her. He blushed as she sat down. Merida fought off her own blush. She was wearing a rather showy dress._

_Joseph seemed about ready to faint. It was very adorable. Perhaps it was better to mess with him for a moment. She grinned, "you ok lamb?"_

_Joseph chocked. He couldn't even say a word. Merida held back a giggle. Joseph was so easy to scare. _

_She leaned in and kissed him on his nose. Merida then leaned back and stared into his eyes. He was staring at her intently_

_Merida gave him a smile "cat got your—" a moment later, he lunged at her pressing his lips into hers. Merida's eyes widened as she felt him kiss her. A moment later her eyes fluttered shut and she kissed back._

Merida's fingers traced her lips. She would never forget that night. It was the first of many times that she would kiss him.

Merida growled. She meant nothing to him now. Obviously, considering that he had moved on.

If only…

Merida walked on, blood boiling in her veins. She didn't want to feel this way; she hated it. She was the one who wanted her independence; she was the one who ran away.

Merida walked into her hotel lobby, trying desperately to hold back her tears. She stomped into the elevator and pressed her floor.

_Merida and Joseph walked hand in hand into the restaurant that they decided to try out._

_As they sat down Merida glanced out the window. They were at a pier giving them a good look at the ocean. It was very romantic._

_"You seem to be having fun." Joseph said, noticing Merida's expression._

_Merida looked at him "of course." She said_

_Joseph gave her a chuckle "woman of few words." He said_

_That was true Merida barely said anything. There were a few times where she said more than a few words on their dates. But it was ok. They were still getting used to the atmosphere; neither of them had ever been on dates ._

The elevator came to a halt and Merida stomped to her room. She opened the door and slammed it so hard it practically shook the room.

Her emotions were going crazy. She hated it. it was something that Elinor had a problem with and would constantly try to change in Merida as she had gotten older. Unfortunately for Elinor, Merida was not one to be tamed very easily and this led to an argument between them on more than one occasion. Elinor considered herself a very proper woman and tried to bequeath the knowledge to Merida, but she was adamant not to turn into her mother.

Merida wanted to be her own person and willfully defied her mother almost every step of the way. It wasn't until Merida had entered college that Elinor had stepped back a little. By then she had tried everything, but Merida wouldn't have it most of the time.

When Elinor was diagnosed, her relationship with Merida was changed drastically. Merida became far more sympathetic and her mother far more considerate. Of course, she also became worried at the prospect of losing the chance of seeing Merida married.

Merida naturally, despite the change in relationship with her mother really hated the idea of marriage at this point. Elinor didn't have long, but the idea of trying to find a husband seemed like a really bad idea when your mother was dying. No she wanted to spend every moment with her mother, not searching for a man to marry.

Merida sat on the bed, finally allowing the tears to fall. She was so angry, so sad and so venerable. She hated feeling like that. She was stronger than that. or at least that's what she told herself.

Her father Fergus, the police commissioner had told her of the exploits he had while he was still a rookie (which of course pulled him up through the ranks) and that inspired Merida to become stronger. She grew up tough, doing sports (which had led her to do archery) and established herself quite well. She never joined the police academy like her father had (she wasn't keen on the idea).

But now here she was crying because she felt heartbroken. It was almost ridiculous.

Merida's hand found its way to her necklace. It was a gift from Joseph that she kept to this day; one of the only things she had left of him. The picture inside was that of someone very important to her, and she hadn't seen him in a few days.

Merida choked. She clutched the necklace tighter. She needed to leave to return home to her mother and her brothers. She had left them because she was desperate to see her old friends and want to reestablish her connections; connections that she was no longer sure that she would ever be able to connect with.

Perhaps it was the world's way of getting back at her. Her desire for freedom had cost her almost everything.

As Merida continued to think, her phone went off startling the young woman. The ringtone was familiar; she knew exactly who was calling her. Grabbing her phone she answered "Hamish, Hubert and Harris." She said into the phone. If there was one thing she knew about her brothers, it was that they had developed a habit of three way calling her, much to her expense. It was quite hilarious, until she threatened to kill them. That wasn't exactly their fault, they were still young. They were 12; allowed to be annoying.

The triplets had come off as a complete surprise to her parents. When Merida had found out about her mothers condition, she wasn't sure what to think. She was 13 at the time and was scared her mother shouldn't have children after so long. When they were born, Merida had been scared. They seemed so fragile. She didn't want to break them

Of course as they got older Merida had become very protective of her brothers and they developed a close bond. She never liked their pranks, but they were helpful whenever they were needed.

"Hi Sis" came a chorus of identical voices from the other end of the line. The redhead chuckled. And so the torture would begin

"And how are my three wee devils doing today?" wee devils. The nickname that fit Hubert, Harris and Hamish. They in turn called Merida 'the best archer in all the land" but that was because of her skill at archery, rather than any sort of personality quirk that she had. The best that anyone had ever come up with was 'little princess' (which was her father of course)

"we are doing good, just here helping mom of course" they told her. They had been quite helpful to her of course; they still lived with her. Merida loved her mother very much, but she couldn't imagine how her brothers were going to handle it. they were still kids.

Her father, even. Merida's parents had met while still early in their careers (her mother was a law student.) and they had gone out and gotten married not long after. Losing Elinor, would kill Fergus. He treasured his family like no one else, and would fight to the death to protect them from any harm that would come their way.

That was how Fergus had lost his leg on the job. He had protected his partner from a bullet that had forced them to amputate his leg. He took it with gusto though and had even become legendary among the police force. He often regaled his tales to his fellow officers (much to their annoyance)

"is she doing alright" Merida asked with heavy concern.

There was silence on the other end for the moment. Merida's heart pumped madly in her chest. What was wrong with her mother?

"Shes fine. Nothing too different." They said in unison. Merida let out a slow breath. So her mother was fine… well as fine as one with leukemia could be.

"could you put her on?" Merida asked her brothers.

There was a moment of silence, followed by a weak "Merida." from her mother.

Merida choked. It broke her heart to hear her mother like that She was once the definition of strong ; a woman that one would not want to mess with. Now, she was a tired old woman fighting with every breath.

"hi mommy." She whispered.

"dear, I know this has been hard on you. But I want you to know, I'm very proud of the woman you've become."

Merida felt a tear roll down her cheek "mom… I—"

Elinor interrupted her "Merida… I know… but death is a natural part of life. You've been my pride and joy. It warms my heart to have seen you grow."

Merida smiled sadly. Her mother always tried to see the bright side, even at the worst of times.

Merida's lip quivered "my wee lamb? how is he?" she asked

There was a chuckle on the other end "he's fine dear, can't wait to see you"

Merida giggled slightly "well I will be home tomorrow, so I wont have to wait long." It felt so good to laugh with her mother

Elinor laughed slightly; quite an achievement from her given her weak state "no I suppose not!" she laughed

Elinor then coughed, ending her laugh. Merida jolted slightly "mom!" she cried. Elinor continued to cough, followed by a small scuffle and suddenly there was her brothers on the line again. "Merida, we should get back to mom."

The line went dead, leaving Merida to be the only one in the room again.

Merida fingered the necklace that hung on her neck. There were so many things she had to say, so many things that were left unsaid. But she knew that even if she was able to tell Joseph everything that she wanted to tell him, he would never leave Elsa. He loved her far too much for that.

She opened the necklace and smiled. Her wee lamb… she loved him very much and couldn't wait to see him. She kissed the picture


	13. Chapter 13

With a grin on her face, Elsa walked into the ice forum. The cool air soothed her, chilling her down to the spine as it touched her skin. It was always old in here, and she loved it. Ice was her favorite thing, (at least when it came to inanimate objects.)

So when she wanted to grow up, she wanted to work with ice.

When Elsa first began working here, she couldn't have imagined the beauty of the ice forum. The ice rink was beautiful, with a wide plain that allowed Elsa plenty of room to move during the shows they put on. Elsa more often then not, refused to wear the heavier costumes that were used in the show. It wasn't hard to see why. Despite the frigid air that the room held, the costumes were so bulking that they could heat up very quickly. Elsa was also smaller that some of her coworkers so she might not exactly fit into the costumes.

That was fine with her. She preferred to be comfortable.

Elsa smiled. She enjoyed working here very much. She could imagine it being any better than it already was.

She had been working here ever since she had finished college, actually by complete chance as it turned out. She had come in just for some recreational time for practice and it just happened.

_Elsa stared in awe at the ice rink. It was very large; many people could be out on it. At the moment though there was no one in the room. She figured that she could get some privacy then. _

_She walked over to the nearby desk and signed a release for, which would allow her to use the skates with consent from the building and the company. She went over to the rack and picked out a pair of skates that would fit her. She slipped off her shoes and put on the skates, before hobbling over to the ice rink. _

_a familiar sense of weightlessness washed over her. It made her feel happy and she began gliding across the ice, shrieking with laughter. Ice-skating made her feel so alive; she had always loved it growing up and Elsa couldn't imagine having it any other way._

_After what seemed like hours of skating, she final made her way to the edge of the ice rink. She sat down, needing a break. She sat down and started to remove her skates when she felt someone was behind her. Turning around she saw an elderly lady, with grey hair and brown eyes._

_Elsa quickly stopped, unsure of what to do. The old woman was staring at her a smile on her face. _

_The old woman approached her. Elsa suddenly felt very nervous and very small. Had the old woman been watching her? She quickly stood up, ready to introduce herself when the Woman extended her hand and said "my my, that was an impressive display miss."_

_Elsa colored slightly. It was a rarity that she was ever complimented on her skills as a skater, mostly because she never got around to being around people whenever she did so. Or there were too many people to even bother making a distinction._

_Still Elsa took the compliment. She fidgeted with her jacket and looked down at the floor. "Thanks!" she mumbled._

_The elder woman chuckled "my name is Beatrice. Beatrice Crow" she said, extending her hand._

_Elsa smiled and returned the hand skate. "Elsa Winters" she said_

_"Tell me Elsa are you looking for a job?" Beatrice asked._

_Elsa stopped. A job? Here? Her heart hammered in her chest. A chance to work for an ice skating company? She felt herself smile. Beatrice noticed_

_"Ah, so I can take it your interested?" she asked _

_Elsa stepped back, folding her hands "yes mamn." She said politely_

Beatrice had really helped her out. That had been so long ago, but she felt so grateful. After securing her job, Elsa had worked at the ice rink since then. Everyone had been so kind to her and treated each other fairly

They had put on so many performances during the years that Elsa had lost count, but she enjoyed every minute of it all. She was known for many performances to the public (but unlike Joseph she wasn't in the spotlight as much, something she enjoyed)

Elsa smiled as she sat down at the edge of the ice rink, taking in the amazing colors. That shined down on the ice. Truly nothing would be better than this. She took her ice skates and slipped them on. Stepping onto the ice, she allowed herself to glide across the ice, moving across it with grace. With each movement, it felt welcoming just to be here.

Beatrice had been impressed with her skills, and while she was not one to gloat about herself, Elsa was proud of her abilities and felt that it really showed for the most part.

Elsa's parents had taught her when she was very young (Anna tried and failed for the most part) and she enjoyed every minute of it. She had even been in a few competitions. She didn't always win, but it felt good just to try,

Elsa was a natural with ice and it showed very well. Every time she was around it she felt happy and she always wanted to be near it. She just loved the cold.

It was very ironic. She loved ice and snow, the colder weather for one. Anna loved warmer weather. They were sisters and they were near complete opposites.

Elsa continued to glide across the ice, doing all sorts of tricks that she learned over the years.

She rarely ever got to do this before working here. As a child, she only got to do so whenever it snowed.

Elsa smiled. Doing this every day was a blessing. She couldn't imagine doing anything else.

She enjoyed doing this with her mother (who was the one that taught her in the first place). she could still remember when her mother first taught her to skate.

_Idun held her daughter by the hand. Elsa was no more than five. She was clutching a tiny pair of skates while her mother led her to the nearby hotel lake. The lake had iced over and they were allowing people to skate on it. Elsa had begged to skate so Idun to her to skate while her husband stayed with the baby._

_Elsa was fidgeting. She was kind of scared. She had never been ice-skating before and she wanted to, but now, staring at the very large lake, it felt so impossible. But her mother had assured her that everything would be ok._

_Idun sat Elsa on a bench, and slipped off her winter boots, before slipping on her skates. Elsa sat there while Idun put on her own skates. The young mother then took Elsa's hand a led her to the rink._

_Elsa shuddered as she felt her sense of balance shift on to the skates. It was a different feeling than what she was used to. Her feet nearly slipped and she would have fallen if her mother hadn't caught her._

_"Hold on now Elsa, it's only your first time." Idun said laughing. Elsa pouted. She didn't like that she almost fell. She stood up, shakily, trying to gain a sense of balance _

_Idun continued to stay close to Elsa. Slowly Elsa began to walk across the ice, gaining more and more momentum._

_Idun stared in awe. Elsa was picking up her skill very fast. _

_After several hours, Elsa, while not able to skate on her own, was able to skate whilst holding on to her mother's hand. However, it seemed to Idun that the young child was starting to get very tired, for Elsa was leaning on her for support. Idun glided to the edge of the rink and picked up Elsa in her arms. Elsa slumped into Idun dead to anything. Idun smiled and walked back to the hotel_

Elsa smiled leaning on the edge of the ice rink. It had been so long since she had ever thought about that day. It was one of the few memories of her mother that she had.

A tear fell down Elsa's face. She missed them. It had been 13 long years and she missed them every day. They would never see Kristoff or Joseph, the two men that made their daughters happy, or any grand children that would come from that

Elsa rubbed a hand across her abdomen. She and Joseph had been sexually active for the past few months, but she had yet to try getting pregnant. She wanted to what until after she was married to even try. Kai and Gerda were already on edge with how quick Elsa was getting married; she didn't need to add any more stress by adding a child to the mix. Even though Anna was probably in the same situation, getting pregnant could happen (but since she was married it wouldn't be as bad)

Elsa sighed. She sat down, wishing that she was with her fiancée right now. She wanted Anna and Kristoff by her side. They were her family.

Truth be told, Anna and Kristoff hadn't visited in a while and Anna had hoped that they could double date sometime. They just hadn't been able to do anything because of the fact Anna lived several hours away. Elsa was saddened by that. She had hoped that Anna would move closer after the wedding, but Anna had moved closer to Kristoff family instead.

It was all because of Hans. He had broke Anna's heart and left her to dry. Thankfully, last she heard, he was back down south, where is family company was. Anna just couldn't stay in the city because of the pain.

It was kind of ironic though that she had met Kristoff shortly after and moved to the suburbs. It was like a dream come true for them.

Maybe some day, Elsa would go to visit them, but it was going to be tough at the moment.

There was just so much going on right now. Elsa still had to pre plan some of the wedding, despite writing the invitations. Plus a weekend just might not be enough time to spend with her family. An entire week off was more appropriate; they would just have to find a way to get it.

She would figure it out.

Elsa smile, wanting nothing more than that, it would be one of the most precious things she could ever do with Anna.

As she continued to sit there contemplating her life. She heard a very familiar voice behind her "Elsa you're here early."

Elsa turned, spotting Beatrice walking towards her two cups in hand. It was hot chocolate. Elsa gladly accepted one of the cups, sipping it gingerly. The warm liquid went down her throat, warming her.

Bless Beatrice. She really was a nice woman. She loved to help others,

"How are you Elsa?" Beatrice asked

Elsa smiled at the elder woman. "I'm having a wonderful day." Elsa said.

"How so?" Beatrice asked

Elsa smiled and showed her hand. Beatrice glanced down and her mouth dropped open "oh my…" she looked up at Elsa grinning "how long?"

Elsa took another sip of her drink "two days" she said

If there was one thing Beatrice liked, it was romance. She was probably the only woman (besides Anna and Rapunzel) that she would consider gossiping with when it came to this sort of thing. She was probably the only woman Elsa would consider talking about her marriage to.

Beatrice smiled. She enjoyed it when Elsa talked to her about these things. Elsa looked up to her despite the fact that they hadn't known each other for that long. It warmed her heart.

"So whens the wedding?" Beatrice asked.

Elsa blushed. "It's going to be in December. Beatrice raised her eyebrows "but I thought that Joseph hated the cold.

Elsa laughed "oh he does; he just knows I like it. So its going to be then."

Beatrice giggled "ah. That boy loves you very much." She said

Elsa smiled. Joseph really did. He would do almost anything for her and he rarely ever argued with her on anything. That did have the very occasional spat early on, but they hadn't yet had a major fight. Elsa hoped it wouldn't have to come to that, but every couple had its problems

Still despite that, she knew that she didn't come across as bossy or controlling. The two found common ground with everything and didn't force the other to do anything that they hated.

Elsa couldn't ask for a more understanding person.

Beatrice took another sip of her drink. "Have you given thought to the theme of the wedding?"

Elsa laughed "I just got engaged, so not really, no."

Beatrice smiled "ok"

Elsa took another sip of her drink. She loved the taste of the chocolate. She had gotten in to trouble with chocolate plenty of times in her life. It was one of her guilty pleasures.

Beatrice and Elsa shared many drinks like this over the years. It was a hobby of theirs. They just loved to talk over these drinks.

It had started out so simply but now was a constant in their life. Both woman shared some love of chocolate and it helped immensely.

Elsa smiled as she finally finished the cup and placed it down on the floor next to her. She just loved that she and her boss did this. It made it seem less like a partnership and more like a friendship.

Beatrice picked up the cup "thank you for your time Elsa." The elder woman then walked away.

Elsa stood up and walked towards her office. There were very few places for her to be alone and she needed time to think about her wedding.

She sat down at her desk, and slumped. The theme of the wedding was definitely going to be winter themed (regardless of what Kai and Gerda were going to say, but that was the least of her problems) and she knew who she was going to invite, but there were the issues of her dress, getting the decorations and everything else that was going to be a hassle. Not so much so that it would cause a large amount of trouble, Elsa just wanted the wedding to go well.

Elsa giggled. It was a good thing the wedding was to happen in December. It gave her plenty of time to think about exactly what she wanted. She definitely would have to consult Anna, but that in and of it self wasn't going to be too difficult because Anna would love every minute of it.

Elsa then stood up. She needed to take a walk. She exited the building and proceeded down a random street walking towards a pet store. As she passed it she noticed a fluffy white cat staring at her. Stopping she turned to face the kitten, who immediately brighten when she looked at it in the eye. It started meowing and Elsa couldn't help but giggle. The cat looked so innocent.

Elsa never had a pet before in her life. Kai and Gerda were not exactly fond of the idea (neither were Adgar and Idun). Elsa never complained though, because at the time she had suffered from anti social tendencies and a pet would not have helped very much. Even though she was a mature individual and would have taken care of it, it wouldn't have been the first thing wanted in the house.

The cat was now jumping, and pawing at the window. Elsa smiled, the cat was very happy.

Waving to it, she smiled before continuing her path down the street.

It was quite the day outside. She smiled. Perhaps it would be best to go visit Joseph. He would be having a couple of meetings last time she checked. And wouldn't it be great if she just happened to walk in on him?

The company loved Elsa because she had met a few of the workers there during her time with Joseph. They seemed like a very happy bunch. Elsa couldn't help but be happy as well

Elsa and Joseph never discussed work all too much. It was rather annoying, though joseph had watched Elsa at work on many occasions (though he would never do what she did)

Where Elsa worked was not very far from where Joseph was thankfully. It would turn out to be a very sort trip.

Though they had a car, Elsa preferred walking. It was more enjoyable.

Elsa continued to walk own the street, smiling happily. Everything was turning out best for her. She was engaged, had a loving family, there was nothing that she wanted more. Her family brought out the best in her and she loved them very much.

She could see the office. Though Elsa was not one for building in general, she had to admit that it was a very impressive building. Elsa quickened her pace. It was nearing time for lunch, so she might have just enough time to get there and meet up with her fiancé so they could eat together.

Elsa wanted to go out to eat again. The office food wasn't terrible, but Elsa preferred to have meals better than the office food

As Elsa was about to enter the building, a red head walked out storming past her so quickly Elsa turned to watch her leave. The woman had an almost angry walk to her. Her hands were at her sides, clenched angrily and Elsa heard could faintly hear her crying. She almost reached out and called to the woman, but refrained from doing so. She was angry, it was best to let her deal with it.

Elsa then turned and entered the office building. She was hungry and wanted to spend lunch having a great time.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hope you are enjoying this story! I want to thank everyone who reads this!**

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Elsa entered the office where she knew her fiancée worked, she found him sitting at his desk, looking distracted by something. He didn't even look up when she entered the room.

Elsa frowned. this was strange. he was so focused most of the time he was at work, but now he just looked angry.

With a sly smile she walked behind his desk and leaned towards him, kissing his neck. He jumped, letting out a gasp, before turning to Elsa. His eyes widened in shock, before setting into a smile. He leaned forward and pecked her lips.

Elsa grinned, then proceeded to climb onto his lap, sitting on top of him.

Joseph looked quite confused. As was to be expected when your fiancée suddenly showed up unexpectedly and proceeded to act like this.

Elsa gave Joseph a loving smile "you've been working to hard." She told him. she knew as a CEO he had to, but this was just not needed at all whatsoever. Sometimes, working to hard could happen.

Joseph smiled "Elsa, ice skating is fun, but this…. its hard work, and not exactly the same. I work all day."

Elsa chuckled. Joseph did say Elsa never worked a day in her life, but only because she had way to much fun, which wasn't working. Talk about enjoyment.

Elsa pecked him again "why don't we have our own fun then?" she asked seductively.

She felt his breath hitch, and the two just stared at each others eyes. But they knew better. The building was not private.

She got off Joseph and stood up. Joseph stood up as well, before taking Elsa's hand, and leading her out the door "why don't you head to the lounge? I will meet you there."

Elsa pecked his cheek. "Sounds good to me"

She left to go to the lounge. She had been there a few times when she had come to see Joseph whilst he was working. Surprisingly there were a lot of people who stayed in the lounge, despite the business of the day.

There was plenty to do and talk about and on more than one occasion, she had stayed for hours, talking to whoever had come down for a quick break or on some occasion, a company party.

It really surprised Elsa by the relaxed atmosphere that had overtaken the company. everyone always seemed to be happy and never had anything bad to say to each other

Elsa loved everyone that worked here, from Josephs secretary to any sort of employee that she had ever come across. They all loved each other .

Joseph also seemed to care about his work as well. there were many times where he would stay over night and she would find him the next morning on her way to work, looking so tired that he could just sleep at his desk. it never ceased to amaze her. He was such a good man.

Joseph watched Elsa go. He brought his hands up to his lips. Merida had kissed him earlier. How was he going to ever explain that her Elsa?

He hadn't even seen the other woman in years. she had just up and ran away. He had tried to stay for her sake, but she never returned and he was forced to leave, or be stuck.

Now here she was again, telling him that she was waiting for him, while he was engaged to be married. This was turning out to be a disaster, no matter what he thought about doing. Merida obviously couldn't just stay in his life as actively as she may want to. She was his ex! He couldn't have a relationship with her, at least not romantically. Merida was far from stupid, but she was also not willing to give up without a fight.

He couldn't just explain to Elsa "hi honey. My ex girlfriend came by today, first time in years and kisses me. But don't worry, I don't care!"

Elsa was not exactly one to get jealous, but she was insecure at a lot of things. Any change could more than unnerve her.

Elsa… she was so fragile sometimes that it almost hurt. Merida was far stronger in that regard, or at least that's how it was back when they had been dating. But his love for Elsa far eclipsed that he had once held for Merida in his heart.

If he was to lose her, it would be the end of him

No he would forever hold onto her and never hurt the woman he loved.

Merida couldn't ruin that for him.

After so many years, why would Merida come back to him? he hadn't kept contact with her, for any sort of reason. She was in his past, nothing more.

Elsa was what matter to him. her life, her family. There was absolutely nothing that could keep them apart.

Throughout his time with Elsa, he had found a family. His own parents were far more interested in travelling than they were with his own life.

Aside from making sure he was well educated, there was never a point where he felt that he was close to them. he loved them and they were his parents, but he wished that they were a little more grounded than they actually were. They had a son, a soon to be daughter in law and a whole new family to boot. Why weren't they here?

He was certain they cared, because they still called every once in a while, but other than that there was nothing holding them back from travelling.

Perhaps once they heard news of his marriage?

If anything his parents loved to party. It was one of the major reasons they loved to travel. Sure a marriage wasn't exactly the largest or biggest party known to man, but it was a party that would definitely work for them

That had to make a difference right? But then again, that wasn't exactly something to hope for. His parents should come because they loved him, not because they had a tendency to love partying so much. Again, they should have paid more attention raising him, not worrying out the next location on the map.

If they weren't interested however, then that would be the least of his problems. All he wanted was to spend the rest of his life with Elsa, no matter what.

He just wondered how that would affect his life. Children for sure, but what about his friends and family?

He smiled. He wanted his children to have a large family to guide and support them, beyond what his parents had done.

Elsa's family could more than provide that. they were a loving family and Kai and Gerda were definitely to thank for that

Joseph stepped out of his office and made his way to the lounge. It wasn't a very long trip of course; Elsa was already there. The lounge was known for the large amount of people who would just have fun.

Joseph smiled. Even before his arrival, the company was known for having the lax attitude that he had come to know from the employees that he worked with. Even though he was a no nonsense type of boss, he couldn't help but enjoy that.

It made getting to know his employees a lot easier to know. They all had a strong sense of family and vowed never to let anything bad happen to one another.

Perhaps that was the reason they enjoyed the annual parties so much,

Joseph had honestly been surprised by the partying atmosphere that the employees could have when they wanted it. while he was still working, he had been taken aback by the party. He was surprised that they were even allowing it to happen. He was sure the CEO would have been angry, but he was a part of it too!

In the end though everything had turned out very well and he found out just how everything worked in the company and he couldn't help but laugh and join in whenever he had the chance. Everything was just far to much fun to ignore in the office and it was just the best.

He had grown close to a large number of them, so it was a plus. He saw them as a family more than he did as coworkers. They were such a happy bunch that it really couldn't be helped either. They never had anything bad to say about one another and it was just to happy anyway

He laughed.

After a few moments, he entered the lounge where he found Elsa, curled up on one of the chairs. He eyes were shut tight; it was like she was asleep.

His mouth dropped open "five minutes snowflake?" he mumbled as he walked over to his sleeping fiancée.

She woke up, slowly, turning to face him. she grinned and kissed him.

She always enjoyed his kisses. They made her feel happy and she felt like there were times that she could never seem to get enough of them.

Elsa smiled into the kiss "so care to tell ne the reason that your so happy?" She asked him. Joseph just shrugged.

Elsa just giggled. She stood up from the chair and wrapped her arms around her love.

"want to eat something my love." She asked him in a low voice.

Joseph laughed. Elsa could be so seductive when she wanted to be. It was very surprising how bold she was. She was not exactly clingy, but she sure enjoyed teasing him.

It was very adorable to say the least

Joseph just gave Elsa a peck on her forehead "why not, I hear that there is some good food today."

Elsa giggled "no Joseph, I mean how about we go out!" she told him. she was desperate for a good meal and going out was the best way to get it. the commissary food wasn't terrible but she was in the mood for something a little more high class than that

Joseph would definitely call her spoiled.

Elsa did have some problems like that at times. She wasn't exactly a brat nor did she think too highly of herself. She had just grown up in a wealthy household.

Anna was the same, but the two were pure of heart and often tried to help others when needed .

Joseph laughed " alright then"

Elsa took his hand and smiled. Joseph glanced at her. She was so beautiful. He could feel her ring. Her engagement ring. It had honestly taken him a while to find the right ring that he needed for Elsa. Forget being wealthy, be wanted to make sure that the ring was perfect for Elsa, not worth its weight in diamonds.

That was a small thing. Elsa sure loved that ring because she didn't want to take it off, for any reason whatsoever.

he smiled. When he and elsa were married, it would be the most important moment of their lives.

He and Elsa were made for each other and he couldn't imagine life without her. She was his.

Elsa had gone through far to much to not get her happy ending. He was determined to give her that with all the abilities that he possessed.

Elsa more than deserved that much.

The two made their way to the entrance of the building, the couple exited and returned outside.

Both of them smiled.

They began to walk down the street, much like they had over the weekend.

Elsa didn't have much of a clue about where she wanted to go; they had gone to the bistro over the weekend and she hated the idea of being excessive. There were plenty of places that she had yet to try, so perhaps she should try there. There was never any harm with that.

She grinned. She would just love that. Joseph wasn't exactly as open to other ideas when it came to food, but there were times where trying different types of food did happen, so it wasn't completely out of the question. Elsa could always find a way to get around it (like her puppy dog face)

She had heard of this new place in town not to far from her job, but had yet to try it out. She had heard good things about it though.

Turning to Joseph, she poked his shoulder. "so how about it? you want to try something new for a change?" she asked teasingly.

Joseph nodded "why not? He asked

Elsa grinned before the two took of in the direction that they heard the restaurant was in. it shouldn't take to long to get there.

Elsa had always enjoyed food and never complained whenever she was forced to eat something (that was edible anyway). kai and Gerda always did try and get her to eat many different things.

Anna was the more picky of the two of them (she caused so many messes during her early years).

Elsa felt her mouth water. She was already starting to get hungry and she couldn't wait to eat something.

She had many fond memories of going out with Anna and her family to places such as this. it was one of the many things she was thankful to stll have among what remained of her parents

Adgar used to pretend to steal Anna's food (why only Anna they never knew, but it was probably because she was a little more prone to temper tantrums than Anna was) while Idun would make sure to scold him lightly for the behavior. Elsa would always laugh at such exchanges and anna would always pout (it always worked, no matter what the situation was, surprisingly)

It warmed her heart. She missed times like that. With Anna in a completely different city, it was tough to do such things that she used to do with her. Anna right now was probably wolfing down her own lunch like crazy (she had the biggest appetite of anyone that she had ever known; even kristoff was scared of her.)

There had been many times Anna had even entered in a large amount of contests, simply to eat (she had even won several of them) much to the chagrin of anyone who had the misfortune of going to see Anna; she was simply not someone to be around during those times.

Elsa cringed. While she loved Anna dearly, that was one thing that she just didn't want to see from her sister.

Still, what she wouldn't give to have Anna nearby.

"Elsa, whats wrong?"

Elsa turned to Joseph who was staring at her with concern. He was always worried about her whenever she was being quiet. It was one of the things that Elsa loved about him. he always worried, but he never pried if she didn't answer him.

Elsa smiled "don't worry love. Just thinking about Anna."

Joseph laughed "sorry, you just…" he trailed off. There was no need to finish that sentence; she already knew what he was going to say. They just knew that about each other.

Elsa smiled as they walked towards the new restaurant. She felt her stomach rumble she needed to eat something. All this walking was making her pretty hungry. Plus it was late, even for lunch time.

Again, Anna liked to wolf down food, but Elsa was about that hungry right now. She was ready to just run in there and eat everything that was not already being eaten by someone else. Yep that seemed to be a good idea

Joseph noticed her tension and laughed "relax Elsa the food is not going anywhere!"

Elsa turned to her lover and gave him a glare "not everyone can survive without food you know!" she growled.

Joseph just chuckled. Hungry Elsa was so much fun! Though he had to tread lightly because he could potentially die teasing her "you know, I'm not feeling hungry, maybe we should just…

Elsa punched his chest "I'm going to get my food if its that last thing I ever do!" she all but screeched at him.

Hungry Elsa was definitely not someone you ever wanted to mess with.

Joseph cringed yep. Death seemed like an impeding doom right about now. But teasing Elsa whenever she was like this was to good to pass up.

Of course there were times Elsa had come this close to killing him, but she just couldn't (because she loved him far too much to do that anyway).

Elsa was a downright scary person sometimes though, as evidenced by her angry outbursts (which rarely if ever happened) . she was in control of that most of the time anyway.

Still she was also very loving (if being protective of Anna was of any sort of indication), and it was one of the things that made her one of the best people to ever know.

Didn't stop him from wanting to tease her to death though.

Elsa then giggled "you are way to much fun to tease you know that!" she said

Joseph shook his head. Of course. Elsa just loved to tease him about as much as he loved to tease her. They couldn't help it. it was just too much fun. Anna and Kristoff often did the same thing.

That's just what couples in love did. He couldn't and wouldn't have it any other way. He was happy, she was happy; there was nothing better than that.

The two walked closer to the restaurant. They were both getting very hungry.

Elsa was really eager to get started. Perhaps she should take Anna here some time in the future (if she liked the place) if anything there would have to help whoever was there when Anna arrived. It was going to be a walking nightmare

The two then walked into the restaurant, ready to have a wonderful lunch.

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**Ok… Things seem to be going well.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Major plot point in this chapter, so have fun! Follow favorite and review!**

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Merida sat down in the restaurant that was across the street from her hotel. Her hotel only ever served breakfast so she was forced to eat out for any other meal. (Unless she wanted to eat in, but she wanted to eat out before her flight left; airport food was not her style.)

She still felt miserable over the earlier even that occurred with Joseph at his office. She hadn't exactly been thinking strait at the time. She had found out that his office was there quite by accident and well, it just pretty much descended into exactly what had happened from there.

Not exactly what she wanted to happen.

Merida couldn't help it. She still loved him, even after all these years that they were apart. Merida felt a blush rise over her cheeks. She felt like a giggling school girl all over again. Not that she was going to fall for any person she saw. It had been quite the opposite at the time.

In high school she was one of the more desired girls. Apparently people found her red hair and athletic figure attractive. Unfortunately most guys that got a little to close ended up with a black eye as opposed to a kiss on the cheek.

Merida Dunbrouch was not an easy catch and she was never going to allow herself to fall for any man so easily. She was going to be independent.

Until she met him. Joseph was Rapunzel's friend (and it honestly surprised her that according to Rapunzel, they never once went out on a date) and he was unlike many of the men that had tried to pick Merida up over the years. He was kind uncertain and didn't even try to flirt with her at any point. He just spoke to her like he did to Rapunzel.

Merida sighed. That had been one of the better times of her life.

That being said how was she ever going to tell him-

A laugh interrupted her thoughts. She turned to see Joseph and a beautiful woman entering the restaurant. Merida's eyes widened.

_Merida entered the office. Joseph was apparently going to arrive in a few minutes, so she wanted to surprise him. She wanted to talk to him, to explain everythi_ng _that she_ _should have explained to him the day that they broke up._

_She sat on his desk (ignoring the chair) and spotted a picture on the desk. Her heart swelled. Was it?_

_She picked up the picture and her heart fell to her stomach. It was a picture of a platinum blond woman, who was staring back at her. She was wearing a blue jacket and white clothing. It looked like she was having a good day_

_Merida felt a tear roll down her face. He really had moved on. Merida gripped the picture tightly. Before she could do anything, she heard the door open_

Merida covered her face with her menu. Why? Why now of all times, did this have to happen? They were at the same restaurant? What had she down to deserve this? she was ok meeting Joseph at his office, where she could get some privacy; but to meet his girlfriend? In a public place! This was not good for her temper. Even dealing with her three teenage brothers was better than the scenario she was currently stuck in!

What was she going to do? She peeked out from the menu and saw them getting a table. No! That could not happen! She couldn't do anything. She had already ordered her food and leaving would cause them to see her! But she couldn't stay. She was angry enough as it was!

Merida groaned. Just how was she going to get out of this one!

She watched as Joseph and his girlfriend, walked to a table not to far from where she was sitting.

Not good, definitely not good.

Merida was not very happy. If they saw her, then it was going to be chaos! Joseph would definitely try to leave, causing problems with his girlfriend, who would question his actions.

Yeah that definitely sounded like a recipe for disaster. Merida may be a confrontational person, but she had to agree even that sounded like a ridiculous thing to do.

Instead she just sat there, hoping, and praying that she could find something to do.

If anything, it would be impossible to just go up and talk to them. There was already tension, if it erupted into full blown pandemonium in public, in this restaurant, Merida was sure that she would never be able to forgive herself for doing that. Joseph had moved on; it was time she did the same.

Unfortunately, Merida herself was about as stubborn as could be. She was not one to back down from a fight and if one was to break out she would do her upmost best to win it.

Which would not bode well for anyone near her because, well she had a temper to prove it. it had caused her trouble in the past and it was going to cause trouble for her now

Yeah it was going to be terrible, and she knew it. There was no way that any sort of fight with her was going to end very well

No. She had to play it cool. No contact, no discussion about it. She was not going to ruin her lunch, nor that of anyone else in the whole gosh darn restaurant.

Elinor would probably scold her if she was here, but Merida could not help it. She was here, in this restaurant and that was the only thing that mattered. She would just have to deal with the fact that the universe decided to bring her ex boyfriend here too

Merida was supposed to be enjoying herself, but now she was wishing she was already home. Instead she was stuck here, in a place that was only going to cause her to have a lot more stress than she would have ever wished for.

Oh the joy.

Why couldn't she be more diplomatic? Her mother's skills would definitely be able to help out during this situation. If there was anything Merida was good at it was starting a fight over something, but right now, that was the last thing she wanted to do. She already embarrassed herself when she tried to make a move on her ex earlier today, she did not want to make it worse by fighting with his girlfriend in public!

What if he saw her? She wasn't sure she could handle that. Would he panic like she felt like she was panicking?

She did not want to fight Joseph or his new girlfriend in public, but she was already growing stressed which would not do well for her temper if she actually lost it

Merida may not look it but she was physically strong she would go crazy if it came to that, but she did not want to do that.

Which was hard to do when she could see Joseph and the woman practically feeding each other!

Merida felt her heart clench. They used to do that, over the course of so many dates. Merida hadn't been fond of it at first (romance was not her thing at all), but Joseph decided that she had to do it at least once and force-fed her dessert once.

At the time she felt like breaking his arm, but eventually she just gave in. she had to admit looking at it was romantic.

Except for the fact that he was doing it with another woman.

Merida groaned and placed her head on the table. Where was her food, she needed to make a quick exit, but only after she ate. Then she was going to rush to the airport and leave everything else behind.

She fingered the necklace around her neck. She couldn't leave without telling him could she?

She looked up at him. He was smiling happy. His laughter was like music to her ears and it made her heart melt. He had the same laugh.

She couldn't tell him. It would break his heart.

Merida sat back as her food arrived. She nibbled on it gingerly, watching her ex carefully.

It had been many years ago, and she regretted her actions that day, but it was done. But Joseph, he could not be apart of it now. She had denied him everything and he had moved on. It was time she did the same

Maybe she was destined to be alone. Merida had always said she wasn't ready for marriage; perhaps it was better this way.

Merida watched as Joseph got his own food and began to eat as well. Ok then. Hopefully he could leave before Merida and she could escape without ever being noticed by him

After a few moments, Merida stood up from the table and walked to the woman's restroom.

Little did she know, a certain platinum blond woman was also making her way to the woman's restroom.

Merida ran to the sink and began washing her face. She felt the cool water on her face. It felt cleansing and managed to relieve a little of her stress.

Suddenly she heard the door open. Merida stood up fast and gasped as she saw Joseph's girlfriend enter the room.

Oh great! The one thing she was hoping for, just had go and not happen didn't it. She was in the restroom, alone with the person causing her so much stress!

The woman stiffened, no doubt surprised by Merida's gasp. "Sorry" her voice was soft. Merida stared at her. She was beautiful, with a figure similar to Rapunzel's, as well as a similar face, though much paler and with blue eyes unlike Rapunzel's green

Merida bit her lip. No wonder Joseph had fallen so hard for this woman.

The woman noticed her uncertainty "are you alright?" she asked Merida.

Merida clenched her fists, and stared at the ground. How was she supposed to tell her that she was angry because this woman was dating her boyfriend? She felt a tear leak down her face and her body suddenly started to convulse with sobs.

Geez how pathetic was she? She was crying in front of another woman without the slightest hint of an explanation. God she must really look like a complete idiot right now

She heard the woman gasp and a moment later a tissue was placed in her hand.

Merida looked at the woman. She was so kind. She wiped her face, and gave the woman a smile. "Thanks."

The woman smiled "your welcome miss…"

Merida held out her hand "Merida"

The woman took her hand "Elsa"

Elsa. so that was the name of his new lass. Well, it was pretty.

Elsa's face then fell "may I ask why you were crying Merida? I don't mean to pry, I just want to make sure that you are alright."

Merida turned away. She couldn't tell her. "Just… a rough week that's all." That was the truth, considering that Merida was in this situation.

Elsa frowned "I'm sorry I wished that I could help you"

Merida placed her hand on her neck. "Its quite alright." She said.

Elsa looked down at the necklace and her eyes widened. "that is a very beautiful piece of jewelry." She told Merida "where did you get it?"

Merida frowned. "it was given to me by someone very important to me."

Elsa gave her a grin "your husband?"

Merida felt her fist clench. She couldn't tell Elsa. It would not bode very well and it would like be the start of a very heated argument. "No. It was from an ex boyfriend."

Elsa's face fell. "oh… you must have been very happy together."

Must have been very happy together. They were very happy together, until Merida ran away because she just had to be selfish.

Elsa took the pendant in her hand "is this a picture locket?" she asked.

Merida smiled and opened the locket revealing the picture that she placed inside of it.

she watched as Elsa's eyes widened…. she was obviously taken by the photo inside the pendant. She glanced up at Merida "very nice" she said

Merida smiled. Most people did indeed find the picture to be adorable. There just wasn't any reason for it not to be.

She closed the locket and smiled. "Thank you Elsa"

Merida then left the rest room.

Her heart was racing. She could not believe what had just happened. She had met and talked to Elsa the woman who was causing her the most stress today.

Merida returned to her table making sure to hide her face. Would Elsa tell her ex about the encounter that they had in the restroom. It didn't exactly make for good dinner conversation and it was a very depressing moment, so it didn't seem that it would ever need to come up in a conversation.

Merida clenched her fist. She did not want something like that to ever happen again. if she ever saw Elsa again, she did not want it to be to introduce her to her ex. It would not be a very pretty situation.

Merida frowned. It would seem that Joseph never told Elsa about her. Why would he? They had long since broken up.

What was Merida to do? She was caught in the largest dilemma that she could face at the moment. If Elsa tried to find her and introduce her, it would just cause more problems then she needed, but she had to see Joseph again. She desperately wanted to

But how was she going to be able to do that when she had the problem that she was currently facing? Elsa seemed to make him very happy. Wasn't that the most important thing?

But Merida couldn't help it. She so badly wanted Joseph to be hers again. She deserved him. After everything that had happened in the past. She wanted him.

Merida finished her plate then left some money for the check, before quietly exiting the restaurant and walked across the street back to her hotel room. Her entire being was overloaded with what had happened to her today. She was unhappy and angry all at the same time.

She had to find out more about Elsa. There was only one problem. She didn't know Elsa's last name nor did she have anything with which to contact her.

Jealously was a sin, so she was told. But Merida was far too angry to care. She entered her hotel and returned to her room.

She went into the hotel bedroom, and began taking her cloths and shoving them into a suitcase that she had. It was untidy and clumsy but she was in such a rage that she didn't care about what it looked like. It was a suitcase.

She roared in frustration as she began to cry once more. It was just too much for her to handle at the moment.

She shoved more cloths into her suitcase. Why? Why did everything have to be so hard?

She curled up on her knees ready to just cry her heart out. She clenched her hand around the necklace once more. It was hers and hers alone. The necklace had once been a gift; it held something very dear to her.

But the one she loved know had the attention of someone else, someone who made Merida's blood boil.

Now Merida was not a malicious person. She was known to be kind if very hot tempered. But she was seething with rage right about now.

Merida, growling grabbed a pillow and shoved her face in it screaming loudly. After doing so, she felt much better. she tossed the pillow aside and sank to her knees crying.

She frowned and stared at the wall. It was not a very happy moment for her. She needed to say so much, but she refused to. She needed to move on, return to her mother and care for her. Then maybe, just maybe, she could finally move on. There was nothing left for here. Joseph was engaged.

She may love him, but he no longer felt the same.

She huffed and stood up. She grabbed her purse and slung it on her shoulder. As she did so, a small photo that she kept tumbled out of its pocket. She looked down, must have forgotten to zip it last time she opened her purse. She bent down and picked up the photo. It was from her last night at college. It was her self and Rapunzel waving goodbye. Merida and Rapunzel had huge grins on their faces; they were happy to be leaving college. Rapunzel's smile… it was the exact same smile that Elsa had worn earlier. She dropped the photo. Rapunzel and Elsa…. They must be related!

Merida gasped an she felt her heartbeat racing… she never…. Despite keeping in contact with Rapunzel all these years, Rapunzel's extended family never came up to visit and she certainly never talked about them. Not even when they were in college

Rapunzel never dated Joseph, but now he was dating someone in her family? Merida growled. She needed answers.

Rapunzel had been her best friend in college. The girl had a good heart and really hated lying. She would answer most, if not all of the questions Merida would ask her.

That was one of the good things about having Rapunzel as a very good friend.

Merida frowned. This would certainly not be something that would be very easy to do, but it needed to be done.

Would Rapunzel understand? Well she knew what had happened so long ago, so she would, minus the fact that if she was related to Elsa, she would definitely be on the other girls side, rather than her own.

Merida grabbed her phone from her purse and dialed Rapunzel's number. She was going to get her answers.


	16. Chapter 16

**I apologize because this ****chapter, well it came out very angsty in an otherwise dramatic plot. Sone of you may cry, but the story must be told. I have tissues so please feel free to cry. **

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Rapunzel wondered how her friends were doing. It had honestly been a very long while since she had talked to them. She missed them very much so.

Growing up, Rapunzel had a very tough time even making friends, because of the incident that had happened with her nanny.

Rapunzel's parents were managers in a spa that worked wonders for anyone who happened to visit them. It was so popular in fact that it took up most of their time because a large amount of people came in just from hearing about how rejuvenating it was to them.

Which of course was when the problem started. Rapunzel had been a toddler when her parents business took off, and because the work was so demanding, they hired a nanny to watch Rapunzel, if neither of her parents could watch her.

Gothel was very kind for the first few years of Rapunzel's time with her. She was crazy, but she was never mean or otherwise spiteful to the young girl.

It started when Rapunzel turned 12, just before she started puberty. Gothel became jealous of Rapunzel's beauty and began berating her, calling her clumsy and unrefined, breaking down the girls self-esteem.

Rapunzel hated lying, but never found the courage to tell her parents about the abuse until much later on.

Thankfully, it was over after Gothel went to prison, and Rapunzel healed not long after, becoming her usual bubbly self.

Then, of course, college.

If there was one thing Rapunzel was grateful about when it came to college, it was the simple fact that she had made a best friend forever (in a girl her age that is) at first glance, it didn't seem like the two had anything in common. Merida was tough and almost tomboyish, with a rebellious streak and a real short temper

Rapunzel was meek, bubbly, as girly as could get and always happy.

Yet strangely the two worked out together, as roommates and eventual friends. Rapunzel loved Merida like a sister and would always be happy to help her.

She was family.

Even tough Merida had left the country some time ago (before returning) the two kept in contact always willing to help each other out if needed. In the past few years that became even more apparent because of a wee little problem that Merida had contracted during her time away.

Even so Merida wasn't complaining, (neither was Rapunzel) so there really wasn't a problem to be concerned with. They just did the best with what they could. It was tough work, but it was all very rewarding to them.

Rapunzel had hoped to get together with her friends, but Merida's current situation would make it difficult for them all to get together.

Rapunzel shook her head. There was really nothing that she could do about it Merida was stubborn and she would rather die than reveal her secret… she was still so very upset about it all

Rapunzel ha tried to help out as best she could, but in the end, it was ripping her apart as well. but what else could she do? Merida was her friend; she just couldn't abandon her.

The problem was how long was Merida going to hold it in for. In the past few years, Merida had become emotionally unstable, and Rapunzel genuinely worried for her old friend. She hadn't recovered and if she continued to spiral, there was no telling where she would end up for it.

If Merida snapped, it wouldn't be pretty and it would destroy everything that she had ever worked for.

How would that help anybody?

Rapunzel sighed. She hoped Merida would be ok. Then again, there was no telling with the other woman. she was very volatile and stubborn. Trying to talk to her when she was upset was like trying to talk to a wild animal. Very dangerous.

Merida had had a lot of issues over the past few years, from her mother's condition to her current problem; Rapunzel wondered how she hadn't snapped already.

That still didn't stop her from being concerned though. Merida might be tough, but it still wasn't healthy for her to be going the way she was.

There was no talking Merida out of it either. She continued down her path, ready to do whatever she could in order to complete her goals. Rapunzel hadn't helped at all in that regard (she was scared of the consequences) , but she was concerned that it would eventually lead to trouble.

Merida had left home in order to deal with it, but Rapunzel knew it would only lead to trouble after everything that had happened. Merida was independent, or so she told everyone. But after her reaction to the events of the past few years, Rapunzel believed that Merida did need some help with her life. It was all too much for her.

What needed to happen? Rapunzel knew that Merida needed help, but it didn't seem likely that the other girl would allow it.

Merida was very rash and rarely thought things trough before she did it. Which was why visiting her cousin's home town where Joseph was, well it was not exactly a very good idea.

Rapunzel knew that Elsa and Joseph were very happy together (she had seen pictures), but sincerely hoped that Merida wasn't going to try running a wrench into their relationship.

Unfortunately Merida was a teensy little obsessed thanks to her condition. Of course, what had happened between Merida and Joseph was the exact problem that Merida was now having, but Rapunzel was one of the only other people that knew exactly why Merida was exactly the way she was. She had never told anyone else.

Rapunzel was not a liar, but she also swore to never break a promise and she promised Merida that she wouldn't ell anyone about what happened. Merida was already crazy about the issue as is; she didn't want to be responsible for driving her insane.

If that were to happen, Rapunzel would never forgive herself. She just couldn't do that to Merida she just didn't deserve it at all.

But what had happened… Rapunzel just wasn't sure how long she could continue like this. the silence was agonizing; destroying her from the inside. How was she able to cope with it after all the visits to Merida's house, all the gatherings she went to over the past few years? Rapunzel didn't know.

Though she and Joseph had also remained in contact, there was very little mention of Merida. She had broken his heart, though he wasn't bitter over it, since it had led him to Elsa.

But it broke Rapunzel's heart because she just wasn't able to tell him about Merida.

Rapunzel choked. Her best friends were silently, unknowingly at odds with each other. It was just too much for her.

But Rapunzel couldn't break her promise. She was just too kind for that.

Would Merida ever find a way to tell him the truth? About what really happened the day they broke up. Rapunzel remembered when Merida had told her. She was crying scared, confused. She was all alone.

Rapunzel had tried to help out the best she could, but Merida just continued to fall into a spiral of depression, adding into the fact her family was also stressed by her mother's condition.

Rapunzel admired Merida's strength, but what she really needed was not going to be able to help her, lest it create a chaotic aftermath.

Rapunzel clenched her fists. She just wanted her friends to be happy. But because of Merida's stubborn personality, she had only managed to become a depressed woman.

If it continued to escalate, Rapunzel was sure that Joseph would definitely pay the price for Merida's actions.

Rapunzel didn't want that to happen. The two of them were her best friends. They had helped her grow so much; virtually nothing had torn them apart. But now, Rapunzel was the only thing holding them together.

If anything, Joseph would go on to marry Elsa and have a family with her; it was the best course of action.

Of course, if there was one person who wouldn't be happy with that it would be the red haired Scottish woman who would rather die than simply tell the truth.

Merida had told Rapunzel time and time again that she would eventually tell Joseph the truth, but each and every time, the other woman would lose her nerve.

Due to this, Rapunzel had suffered every day heart broken by the situation that her friend had put herself through.

It had affected everybody. Merida's parents of course were none to happy when Merida had told them what had happened, though they tempered out later on. Of course they also promised never to tell anyone about the truth either.

Didn't stop them from being angry of course. Rapunzel had never seen such a death filled glare in all of her life. It even made her afraid and she wasn't involved at the time.

Even worse, Joseph didn't know!

How was Merida going to be able to tell her friend that he was a—

Rapunzel's phone rang stopping her trail of thought. She quickly grabbed I and stared at the phone. Speak of the devil. It was Merida herself calling. What did she want? It wasn't like calling Rapunzel was a very often thing (it was more the other way around)

Rapunzel quickly answered the phone "Merida?" she called doing her best to sound chipper.

There was a moment of silence on the other ends. Rapunzel wondered if Merida had hung up or something when her voice came through.

"Rapunzel" came the voice of a very heavy Scottish accent. "How you doing wee lass?"

Rapunzel sighed. She knew that Merida was stalling. Merida never called unless it was something that was very important to her.

"Merida, what is it?" Rapunzel asked quickly. She wanted to help Merida as Quickly as possible, not get lost in a long conversation before hand.

She heard Merida wince and she knew that she was right. Merida did seem to want something, but what exactly it was, it seemed that it was something not well, normal

"Well lass… I… uh." It seemed that Merida was at a loss for words for a moment, until she blurted out "why didn't you tell me that Joseph was dating your cousin!" she all but screamed through the phone. Rapunzel jumped from the unexpected shout.

Even worse, Merida was asking about Elsa? Rapunzel felt her heart freeze. Merida…. Oh no, she had done it she went to see her ex boyfriend and ended up running straight into his current girlfriend.

That was not good. After all these years of stalling Merida had run into the exact situation that would not exactly be ideal for her stress.

Merida refused to talk about Joseph what did she expect to happen. That he would just crawl back to her years later when she was the one who ran off in the first place?

What was she expecting Rapunzel to do? Merida never even met her cousins before, why would she be asking about them? She never told Merida that Elsa had even met Joseph before. She doubted that Joseph would be ok introducing Elsa to Merida. It would be so awkward.

Rapunzel stuttered "I… I…"

Merida groaned on the other end of the line "Rapunzel… I need to know… please"

Rapunzel sighed. "They've been going out for the past few months" she told Merida.

She heard Merida gasp. Oh boy that didn't sound very good. Merida was in shock. And with her, it was shock, then anger. Rapunzel moved the phone away, preparing for the outburst.

Merida began screaming "a few months?" She began to rant "what has that wee devil been doing while I've been-

Rapunzel just listened as Merida continued to scream. Merida's temper sure hadn't improved at all. She was still screaming and ranting even after she had managed to scream out everything she could think of to say.

Rapunzel was used to it. in college Merida was known for her temper; it had caused her quite a bit of trouble, though it was mostly amusing to say the least.

Unfortunately even after her condition, she still hadn't tempered enough to not scream and rant at everything that managed to piss her off. It had caused her quite a few sleepless nights.

A few moments latter, it appeared that Merida finally managed to calm down. Rapunzel moved the phone back "feeling better?" she asked Merida.

Merida breathed heavily on the other end of the phone. It seemed to Rapunzel that she was still clearly pissed about the piece of information that Rapunzel had told her about, but had managed to get the anger out of her system.

Rapunzel still felt bad for her though. she never did truly recover from breaking up with Joseph (though it was still her own fault).

"oh yeah" she responded sarcastically "tell a woman that her man is with another lass and she will feel much better!" she yelled out.

Rapunzel winced. Uh oh. There she was going again. ever since the break up, Merida had always referred to Joseph as 'hers' even tough she rarely spoke of him to anyone other than Rapunzel. 

Rapunzel sighed. She wasn't going to argue with Merida on the matter. "Merida if you just tell him-" she was cut off by a loud growl

"no lass… he doesn't get to know now! How many girls has he been with huh? Why doesn't he just ask them how they are doing first huh?"

Rapunzel winced that had been years ago… but to her knowledge, Joseph had remained single for some time following breaking up with Merida. Elsa was his first major relationship in a while following that period of his life. She wasn't sure about how many others had been in his life after his break up with Merida

"How should I know Merida?" she responded, "we barely kept in contact!" She screamed

That much was true. Joseph hardly ever contacted Rapunzel because he was afraid he would run into Merida. He called and such, but other than that, he spent most of his time alone she supposed.

Unlike with Merida though, their friendship never faltered. Mainly because he never blamed Rapunzel for what had happened. It wasn't even her fault to begin with.

It was Merida's and Merida's alone.

She swore she could hear Merida seething on the other end of the phone.

"that wee devil…" she muttered "going off with someone else when I need him"

Rapunzel sighed, "what are you going to do, Merida? You don't want to tell him. If that's the case, let him live his life. You not a part of it any more. Or at least, please, I beg of you… be his friend… he may not love you as much as he did, but he s not angry with you. He forgave you a long time ago."

That much was true. Though he was initially bitter with the break up, he forgave Merida and allowed himself to move on.

Merida unfortunately hadn't.

That was her problem of course. But Merida had to be stubborn about the situation.

"lass, you don't understand…" Merida whispered "I still love him…"

Rapunzel groaned "Merida… get over it!" she screamed finally fed up with Merida's idiocy "its your own fault! You should have told him years ago! Instead you ran away because you wanted independence. You thought you didn't need him! He would have married you anyway!"

Rapunzel howled in anger. She didn't care that she had screamed at Merida. All she cared about was helping Merida.

She hear Merida breathe on the other end. No one had ever told her that. she had assumed the worst. Of course since Rapunzel knew she refused to talk about her ex, she had never been told that.

Rapunzel breathed heavily. It felt good just to say that. Merida really needed a wake up call. After all, her stubbornness was why she was even in this conversation in the first place!

Then after a few moments of silence, Rapunzel heard something that she hadn't heard Merida do in years. she was crying bawling like a little girl. Rapunzel felt her heart break all over again.

Merida cried for several minutes, relieving herself of every tear that she had ever wanted to shed. Finally it seemed that she had forgiven Joseph for leaving her behind after she had run of. It seemed that she realized that her mistake.

Merida sniffled on the other end of the line "lass… what have I done?" her voice was so weak; it sounded like her throat was sore from the crying.

Rapunzel bit her lip "Merida… are you going to tell him now?" she asked hesitantly

"I… I think I have too." She said

Rapunzel smiled. Finally her friend was able to she the truth. "Great Merida" she said "are you still in town?"

She heard Merida scoff "of course I am lass, but.. my flights in less than an hour… and I don't want to tell him while he's with his lass… it can't happen like that."

Rapunzel sighed. Merida was absolutely right about that. while Joseph had every right to know… Elsa… it would hurt her in the process.

Rapunzel groaned. This was definitely not going to be good.

What was she going to do? Joseph and Elsa were going to get married. But if Merida told him, it would no doubt complicate things. Even worse, Elsa could completely break down... and that was the best-case scenario.

Rapunzel sighed. They were going to be in dangerous territory. "Good bye Merida." She said hanging up on the other woman. Rapunzel then sank to the floor and put her head in her hands. She began to cry heavily. She felt heartbroken

She may have just broken up her best friend and her cousin.

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**Sorry! i will have to flee for my life!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Back to something nice and fluffy. Just don't get used to it. More drama is happening soon. **

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Elsa and Joseph lied in bed. It had been several hours since their little lunch date and they were simply exhausted after a very long day. Elsa was glad they had managed to find a little time for lunch, because they couldn't have had any time other wise.

They enjoyed the time they spent together on days like that. It made them feel all the more special.

Elsa had never once felt so… loved by anyone of her previous partners. She thought she loved one back in her younger years, but she didn't know what love was compared to what her relationships were like today. Love may start with attraction, but true love… true love was just…. more

Elsa wrapped her arms around Josephs neck, while he placed kisses down her collar bone. Elsa moaned, feeling ecstatic from his touch. Joseph always knew where to touch her.

She rolled on top of him, managing to unbutton his shirt, while he did the same to her. He reached up and kissed her again, before grabbing her and flipping her over. He stared at her with a predatory gaze before capturing her lips, Elsa moaned. "Joseph…" she whispered.

The next morning, after managing to dress them selves, Elsa stood at the mirror, trying to fix her rather unruly hair. After the passionate session the night before, her hair always seemed to feel the sane way she did. Wild and confused. It was funny because Anna always had such problems with her hair in the morning.

It was quite the challenge Elsa had to admit (even though she rarely ever had any sort of problem when it came to cosmetics), but she didn't mind.

"morning snowflake" said a soft warm voice

She turned to see Joseph smiling as he approached her, with a huge grin. Elsa smiled and hugged him close. Joseph kissed Elsa's head. "you seem happy this morning." He told her.

Elsa giggled "of course o gallant one. You made me feel like this."

Joseph put on a mock look of surprise "why me?" he gasped "o how did I make such a queen feel happy this morning?"

Elsa slapped his shoulder "you know how." She said.

Joseph smiled "of course…" he said to her. He and Elsa just stood there a moment.

They had always enjoyed the company of the other, ever since they met. Elsa had always enjoyed the warmth that her lover had provided; she was cold or so others had always told her. But she didn't care. This was all she cared about.

She wanted a family with Joseph and only him. he was the love of her life and nothing would be able to take him away from her. She couldn't lose him. she spotted her ring on her finger, the one she had worn for the past few days. it was a sign that she was engaged that she would get married. She hadn't had time for the wedding much these days, but she was going to make sure everything would go perfectly. She wanted to make sure of that much.

She felt tears well up in her eyes. She wanted to be happy. She hadn't felt this happy in such a long time. Not since her parents were alive.

Panic set foot in her heart. No… no! She couldn't bare to lose him, nit like she had lost her parents. Life couldn't be that cruel to her. Hadn't she suffered enough already? What could she have done to deserve such treatment after everything that life had already managed to put her through?

She choked on the thought, causing her to cough. Joseph looked down at her "are you ok?!" he asked quickly.

Elsa just wrapped her arms around him tighter, never wanting to let go of the person that she loved most. She sniffled burying her face into his chest, quietly allowing her tears to fall "don't ever let go of me" she whispered

Joseph kissed her head again rubbing circles on Elsa's back. He knew of Elsa's insecurities at times; it was a by-product of her personality. Of course, he never minded such things from her. He just let her cry if needed to and comfort her when she needed it.

It was so sad that Elsa was still affected by her parents deaths. it broke his heart to see her sad. It was something that one could never recover from, so he supposed. He tried his best to give her love and comfort, but he knew he could only do so much.

But Elsa was strong; she was everything that he could hope for in a woman. she cared about others, she made sure every one was happy before she was.

He continued to rub circles on her back "its ok" he whispered soothingly. He felt Elsa shiver slightly. She was crying. He just continued to hold her, unwilling to let go of her.

They stayed in that position for a long time. Elsa just continued to cry, Joseph trying his best to make sure he could comfort her.

It didn't seem likely that they could go to work today; Joseph owned the company he could take breaks if he wanted too. The president really did run the place for the most part; Joseph just made sure everything was working well.

Elsa was having a small emotional breakdown. And she was shivering from something more than just her crying. What was going on? He kissed her forehead again, then noticed something. Her head was burning; it was feeling far warmer than it should normally be. She had a fever!

"Elsa… get back in bed" he told her. Strangely, Elsa just nodded, letting go of him and crawled back under the covers. So much for getting ready today. Joseph tucked Elsa in, giving her a small smile

"I'll get you some soup" he told her. Elsa smiled, before closing her eyes, drifting back into sleep. Joseph smiled before going to the kitchen. Cooking may not be his thing, but soup, he could do.

He grabbed the supplies needed to make the soup; it was just chicken noodle, how hard could it be?

This was he first time Elsa had gotten ill in their relationship; it was sure to be quite the ordeal. He didn't know much about ill woman, except for 'that time of month'. But how doubted that was the same type of thing considering 'that' only happened to woman.

He managed to boil the water, inserting the right ingredients at the right time. Much easier than baking a cake. Ever since he had blown up Rapunzel's oven, he had hated baking with a passion (though the event had been his own fault)

How was Rapunzel doing? She was some hours away by drive, the closet of his few friends. Anna was about the same distance, just in another direction. It was a funny old world wasn't it?

Rapunzel… he missed her, nit having seen her in the past few months, not since Anna's wedding. They needed to make plans to get together soon. She was like a sister to him.

After some minutes the soup seemed to be ready. Joseph poured a bit of it in a bowl, placing some ice in it for good measure (he didn't want to accidently burn Elsa. She was already feeling warm, no need to actually make her feel worse). Carefully he walked the bowl over to the bed room and placed it on the table next to Elsa's side of the bed

Elsa was sleeping, but because she had slept well the night before (not to mention the smell of the soup) she should wake up within the hour he supposed. She had already been asleep for a while since he had made the soup.

She looked quite ill. Her face was paler than usual this morning and she was sweating. She must have contracted something during the course of yesterday. But Elsa had a strong immune system, so her illness shouldn't last long. It was just a bit of a bug.

He made his way back to the living room. He sat down in the chair and slumped into the back. He started at the ceiling. His life was everything he could want it to be. He was engaged, he had a nice family because of it.

So why was he feeling so uneasy about something. It had been nagging him over the past day. ever since Merida had shown up at his office. But why? After so many years of.. well, what ever it was she was doing, why show up at his office? Granted it wasn't like either one would ever call the other (he had blocked her number because of the pain)

He knew she had kept in contact with Rapunzel because they had really hit it off in college (but they rarely ever talked about her because of the break up.), but other than that, there was virtual nothing that told him to keep in contact with her. Since she never tried to do so in any other matter (since Rapunzel never told him Merida was looking for him), he could assume that she felt the same on the matter.

_He sat on the plane staring out the window. It had been several hours since he had left Scotland. Several hours since his heart had been broken._

_Why had Merida left him? Why had she run off without any sort of explanation? He felt his blood boil with anger. He wasn't angry with her, at least not completely. he knew Merida was a free spirit; maybe she just wasn't cut out for marriage. But if that was the case why would she allow her…them even! To continue the relationship to the point where he was going to propose? Sure some people say no to proposals. It wasn't like yes was the only answer one could give to the question when they were asked it. Merida had always said that she was not going to get married until she was ready._

_But after dating for a year… wasn't that enough? She never gave signs that she wanted to break up, so wasn't marriage the most logical step afterwards._

_Well, it didn't matter anyway. She was gone… and she wasn't coming back. Because he had left everything behind. _

_Everything._

That had been years ago, and he found Elsa a few years later. Sure he had dated a few woman before he had met Elsa, but for the most part, they didn't last long, nor did it feel as passionate as it had been with Merida.

But Elsa. She was something else. He finally had found the woman that he would want to spend the rest of his life with.

But then Merida shows up and his life his thrown completely upside down. why was it that she was the only woman that was capable of making him feel so confused, sure she was his first girl friend in such so maybe that was a part of it, but now? He loved Elsa and could never betray her, not for any reason. He would be a fool to hurt the woman he loved.

He sighed. His feelings were a mess. Hopefully Merida wouldn't bother him again. he traced his lips, Merida had kissed them, the same day Elsa had. He couldn't tell her. Merida was an ex. He certainly didn't want to know about any of Elsa's ex's. it was a part of each others lives that didn't and shouldn't matter any more. They were together, that's all that mattered.

But if she ever found out that Merida had shown up. if she had arrived a few minutes earlier, would Elsa have misunderstood and left. He snorted if that had happened, Merida would probably have hugged him and forced him to sleep with her as a manner of celebration.

Merida did have a flair for the dramatic, at least during the time they had been dating, despite the lack of communication for that time. But of course. He wouldn't betray Elsa on a dime like that. he would run after her and try to mend whatever bridge had been broken during the moment. Elsa would come first not Merida.

She was his life. She was going to be his wife.

Sure, no planning had taken pace as of yet, between celebrating during the weekend and the day of work, not to mention Elsa apparently being ill, they're hadn't been any time to plan the wedding

But in time, they would get married and have a family.

He smiled and closed his eyes. Breathing heavily, he could just imagine Elsa holding a newborn child in her arms. That's what he wanted.

So now that Merida was here, what was he to do? She knew where he was (not to mention that she might depend on him if her mother died soon) he couldn't take the risk that Merida would try something, but he couldn't turn her away either. Just because their relationship as a couple failed did not mean their friendship had to suffer in the same manner.

He just didn't want Merida and Elsa to fight. That was the last thing he wanted of needed to happen at this point. All out war with him as the cause? Yeah…. No he would rather just get them as far from each other as possible.

He groaned and just lied down on the couch. There was so much unresolved feelings now that Merida had returned. Would she finally tell him why she ran of f in such a rush?

No. it didn't matter. He had forgiven her a long time ago. There was no need to dwell on it any longer. It was a forfeited moment. Whatever her reasons she didn't need to explain them. He was with Elsa now and there was no need for anything else from Merida.

He glanced at the bed room where Elsa was still slightly snoring her head off. He loved her, and absolutely nothing could drive him to leave her. They had rarely fought over the course of the past few months, maybe over the smaller matters, but never had they been so engaged in a fight that it had managed to drive a irremovable wedge between them.

True the same had happened with Merida, but considering the fact that she had run off, the difference between the two made the obvious choice very clear to him.

He smiled. Elsa must be dreaming peacefully, despite her illness, he could hear her fidgeting if she wasn't. She suffered from nightmares (like everyone else) but she was terrible about keeping secrets whenever she did. But he never asked if she never told him. There were times where she would cry in her sleep. He would just hold her and shush her back into what he hoped would be a peaceful slumber.

Elsa always loved those moments.

He never knew why she suffered from her nightmares as often as she did, or what triggered them, since she had never once told him about the reason why she had nightmares. But whatever they were, they always managed to scare her. He assumed it was of her parents deaths, or at least the news of it. he had been told that during that time period Elsa suffered her first emotional breakdown and had shut everyone out for some time, falling into a state of depression. The wound had healed over time but she still remained the same after that, never truly being the way she had been before.

It must have been tough on her. He couldn't imagine how it must have felt. She had only been a few years old at the time, it must have caused her so much pain. If she was older at the time, it would still have hurt no doubt about that, but she might not have suffered as much as she had.

Elsa's nightmares rarely occurred these days. according to her, they started to cease after adulthood, but occasionally returned to plague her.

Her first had been some weeks after Anna's wedding.

_Joseph awoke to Elsa fidgeting in her sleep. She was sweating and was moaning in agony. He shifted almost immediately, drawing her closer. She was crying. He whispered in her ear, calming trying to coax her back into sleep. Her eyes fluttered open and she breath in a large gulp of air_

_So much for a peaceful sleep. She stared straight into his eyes before clutching him tightly "I'm sorry…" she whispered, "it just hurts so much"_

That had been one of the only times Elsa had a nightmare.

Joseph smiled. As long as Elsa was happy and safe, he could always feel better knowing he did everything in his power to ensure the same for Elsa.

He could only imagine the look on her face when all her dreams came true. Once the wedding occurred anyway.

Being surrounded by all of her friends, happily getting married. Her family smiling proudly as she walked down the aisle, ready to move on with the rest of her life.

Truly there just couldn't be anything better than that. At least until much later on, when they were ready to start a family.

But there was still plenty of time before that. Elsa hadn't even started to plan the wedding; a family could wait a while before they would make even more changes to adjust to.

Even so, Elsa would want to start a family soon after. She loved children. There were times when he would catch her staring at groups of kids. There was something in her eyes that told him she wanted one. Just not before marriage of course.

But all of that would happen in time. For now, he was just content with waiting until then. He glanced back at the bedroom, before walking back in, deciding to wait there until Elsa woke up.

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	18. Chapter 18

**Big Plot reveal to come! Special props to Jacob Flores and TPFR for either coming close or guessing the big reveal for this chapter!**

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Merida trudged out of the airport, carrying the large suitcase that held the cloths she brought with her. Thankfully it wasn't much. She just wanted to pack her necessities, nothing more than that. she had only gone there to talk to her ex, not to move in the city.

Rapunzel had been right. it was a terrible idea to go to see him. he would never leave his new fiancée. She was saddened by this. not because he refused to leave Elsa (she had to admit the other woman was very nice, both in looks and in her personality.)

Merida hadn't said yes and it was all her fault. She had run off. But she had her reasons and she stuck by them ever since. She thought she didn't need a husband in order to do what she did. She had been so wrong. It was tough, but with the help of her parents (she would never ask her brothers; they were just too young and a little insane) she had managed to get by it. four years later, she was convinced that she had it down, at least as much as she could for what she was doing.

Only if Joseph had been there to help, maybe things would have gone a wee bit different. He probably would have helped her, even if he didn't marry her according to Rapunzel (though he would have married her). But Merida couldn't dwell on the past. It was pretty much nothing at this point. The future was what she cared about.

She clutched her necklace once again. this necklace was the bridge between her past and future. Joseph had given it to her, and it held something very important to her.

Though she had made an effort to just leave Joseph behind after she had left him, this was the one thing she just couldn't leave behind. The necklace was one of the first gifts from him she had ever received. The second, even more so.

She had been scared when she found out, sand thought her parents would have been angry with her (which they were) but they had helped out best they could (while giving lectures to her the entire time among other things).

Merida herself didn't know what to think. It had been just as much a crazy experience for her as it was for them. was this what every woman had to go through? If that was the case, Merida hoped never to do it again. one time was more than enough.

It had been worth it, for the most part. It had been crazy to be sure, but northing exactly terrible. It was just life, Merida supposed. That's what happened when you weren't careful.

It had been a complete accident and an honest mistake. But it had happened, so there wasn't much of anything to do, nor could anything be done about it.

Well there had been options that Merida's parents wished for her to take, but Merida refused each and every time, wanting to see this through till the end.

Though they had fought adamantly on the matter, in the end Merida's parents gave in (she supposed they were a little happy in the end, just not on when it had happened, though they were positively murderous for the next few weeks; she could hear them screaming well into the night most evenings.)

She couldn't blame them for her mistakes. When she found out, she had been almost driven out of her mind, and had been so worried that she didn't know what to do. When she finally did tell someone (Rapunzel) it had pretty much descended into helping Merida through every single step of the way. Merida had hated it. being papered was definitely not her thing at all, despite how nice her mother tried to make her feel over the time period.

And it had hurt… a lot. Merida had never imagined such pain existed in the world, but unfortunately for her, she found out the hard way.

But perhaps it had been worth it. the past four years had been an enriching experience for her. It had helped her mature into a calmer woman, teaching her patience in a way her mother could have never dreamed of.

Elinor had been happy to see that side of her daughter, the one that wasn't stubborn and all but selfish. So perhaps everything did work out for the best, at least in regards to everything that had happened afterwards

Unfortunately for them the happy times didn't last.

Not long after everyone had managed to get over Merida's predicament, Elinor had fallen ill to leukemia. Merida just couldn't believe how cruel life ended up being for her.

Elinor of course was taking it as best she could, but Merida worried for her all of the time. She wished that there was something she could do to end Elinors suffering, but all she could do was manage to keep her comfortable.

If Elinor were to die, Merida just wasn't sure exactly what to do about it. In her younger years, Merida had constantly argued with her mother over the course of her fate. It had led to many heated arguments, none of which ended very well for either party. It wasn't until college (and afterwards) that the two had mended their relationship.

Merida was thankful for that much at least.

But that still didn't stop her from being angry. She didn't want this! she wanted her mother to be happy and healthy again! was that just too much to ask for. The hospital had done all the work that it could, but Merida was nearing the end of what little patience she had left.

She just wished something could be done about it. however, her mother was happy, or at least tried to be for the sake of her family. But Merida just wanted her to be happy for good. She wanted to see her mother grow old, just as her mother had watched her grow up into a fine young woman. but it just didn't seem likely that it was going to happen.

Elinor was going to die if she didn't get help soon.

Merida huffed, looking around for her fathers car. He was supposed to be here by now, ready to pick her up and take her home. Her father always did have a way with things.

But she couldn't be mad. Fergus might be a wee bit crazy (like her wee devils for brothers) but he was just so much fun that no one could get mad and stay at him (ironic, considering his job and all)

Growing up, Merida had always adored her father. He spoiled her pretty much every day and Merida had simply loved it. in many ways Fergus was the exact opposite of his wife. While Elinor was strict, Fergus was pretty much a fun loving type of guy.

Some people say opposites attract. But these two, couldn't be any more different at all. It was a funny old world after all.

Fergus was renowned for his legendary tales on the police force. He had managed to capture some of the most dangerous criminals that had ever existed on the streets. It was not without its perils; he had lost his leg due to a stray shot.

But Fergus had recovered and after some time in physical therapy, returned to work. While unable to perform in the field as well as he used to, he managed to workout pretty well. he was mostly stuck behind a desk now, but since he was the commissioner, one could say he had done a fine job of earning that position in the police force.

Her father had devoted himself to the law, the same way her mother had. That was how they met and eventually ended up getting married

They had spent a few years married before Elinor ended up pregnant with Merida.

They deserved more in life than had been given to them. she didn't want to see her family suffer anymore. It was just too much for any of them to bear any longer.

Merida just wanted it all to stop.

But sometimes there was just simply no control over things in life and this was one of them. they would still hold on to hope, there was no question about that, but it was fading fast, along with whatever life Elinor had in her.

Elinor however never felt miserable in front of her family. Fergus always managed to brighten her day, the boys given her a wide smile that made her laugh, and even Merida's confidence gave her the strength she needed to keep on fighting to live another day.

But just how long could one go on fighting before they just dropped dead? Elinor hadn't had leukemia for very long, but it was sure taking its toll on her. It made Merida sick just to see her other suffer the way she was.

They were trying to make the best of it, bit Merida wanted everything to be the way it had been before.

She looked around for her father, but she still couldn't she the car he was in. Hopefully he wasn't driving in his police cruiser. He loved that thing more than life itself, but it was embarrassing (to Merida at least) when he used it like he would his normal car.

That had happened during some of his earlier years (these days he only used it on the job).

Merida had some fond memories of driving around in her fathers police cruiser, shrieking with laughter whenever he turned on the sirens (though this was only in the neighborhood; he never took her outside of it in his police cruiser)

Those had been some of the better days in her life. If only that luck could come back and help her today. she would be so grateful just to be able to see her mother healthy again.

As she walked down the path where the cars were, she finally spotted her fathers beat up car. The family car that Merida's family had had ever since she was a child. It had taken them a very long way. Fergus in his spare time had a mechanic that fixed up his car every now and then; it was the only reason that the said car was still running as good as it ever had; any other car would have long since broken down.

She could still see her fathers grinning face as he waved furiously through the window, despite the tinted glass

Merida smiled and waved back, beckoning her father forward so that he could pull up and they could get out of here and finally get Merida back home with the rest of her family.

Her father pulled up beside her. Merida put her suitcase in the trunk, then went to the passenger side where she grinned at her father "hello dad!" she said happily

Fergus's grin got even wider, if that was even possible, before he enveloped Merida in a hug so tigh, Merida was sure she had a crushed lung by the time Fergus let go of her.

Yes Fergus wa just a big softy, no matter which way you decided to put it. Merida heaved some air into her lungs in order to rebuild her oxygen supply. 25 years and she still never managed to be able to adjust rto her fathers tremendously strong hugs. How she was ever able to survive before hand, Merida did not know; she was just lucky that she had managed to survive at all.

After the ordeal, she gave her father amonther smile. "hows it going dad!" she asked him happily.

Fergus's eyes twinkled. "its been going the same lass. Your mother is just the same was she was when you left."

Merida's heart deflated a little. Sure it was to be expected that her mother wasn't going to get much wore or better for that matter. She just wished that soething happy would have happened while she was gone. But clearly that did not happen.

She sank back into her seat, groaning, and staring off at nothing in particular. Darn it.

Fergus must have sensed her annoyance because she felt a hand lay on her shoulder "is alright lass, your mother is just… fine"

Just fine! Just fin! Merida screamed. She didn't want her mother to be just fine she wanted her to be well again! but that was apparently too much to ask for because there was no change in her whatsoever

Fergus fliched surprised by his daughters loud outburst. Unlike Elinor, who would have scolded her for such behavior, Fergus just let Merida throw her tantrum. He never did have it in him to argue with his girls.. they had a power over him that could not be matched, not even by the criminals that he so often captured.

If that wasn't scary he did not now what would be. He just couldn't fight back.

When he and Elinor had ever gotten into a fight, Elinor had always managed to win, no questions asked. One glare from her and he was silent for the rest of the day

Maybe that's why he was afraid of Merida's outburst. Sue he gave her a lecture afterwards, but during the whole thing it was just better to let her loose a little bit of steam. Hat always seemed to be a better course of action that trying to interrupt her.

Merida scowled and looked out the window again. she was not in any mood to talk right now. She just needed a few minutes to cool off. Fergus, shifted the car into gear and of they went.

Merida stared out of the window watching the world go bye. Her home. She had lived here all of her life but she loved it. sure she had left for several yeas in order to find her freedom, but in the end, she would always return home. It was just where she needed to be

Even more so now that she had her family waiting for her. She clutched her necklace again. she was almost there.

Fergus glanced at his daughter. She was so stubborn. She had gotten that from her mother no doubt. With her hot temper, it might take the entire car ride for her to calm down. but he was used to it. He had raised her after all, so he knew exactly how his young daughter thought things through.

He knew (like elinor), that Merida had been going through massive mood swings over the past few years. he was angry at what Merida had done, because she should have known better, but it had helped her mature into the fine young woman she was today (minus the temper that she still had)

Of course, while she had much to learn about controlling her temper, she rarely had outbursts in front of her family anymore. If just for the sake of them at all.

He grimaced. Life was just so hard on Merida (like it had been for all of them) these past few years. he wanted everyone to feel better too, but it just wasn't likely to happen anytime soon.

Elinor. His sweet dear wife. She would die soon and he didn't think that he would be able to bear it. it would just be too tough on everyone.

The two just sat in silence the entire way home. There was no need for either of them to say anything. They were both just too angry or sad right now.

Thankfully the trip home wasn't a long one, so they didn't have to go on suffering like that for very long.

The Dunbroch estate was a very old house just outside of the city. It had been in Merida's family for generations.

Merida had spent many days simply wandering the estate doing who knows what. It was very large so Elinor had often accompanied her daughter while they were outside.

Fergus pulled up into the drive way. As son as he parked the care, Meridas left, taking her suitcase and stomped all the way to the front door, and opened it.

The main foyer was empty (as usual) because Elinor was upstairs in the master bedroom, being tended to by her younger brothers. Merida sighed. This was her home, but it didn't feel so homey right now.

Fergus trudged up behind her, he moved past her and immediately went upstairs to be with his wife.

Merida smiled slightly. That was love right there. Fergus would always be at his wife's side no matter what the cost. He had stayed true to his vows.

Merida walked into the house and collapsed on the stairs, she huffed wishing that she could take all the stress away. But that was impossible, because only as miracle could help them now

She heard a muffled squeal from up the stairs, no doubt, Fergus had hugged his wife again. Merida smiled. that would just never get old, not for any of them.

She made her way up the stairs. This was the only thing about the house that she didn't like. The long trip to anywhere. But that's the price you pay for living in such a large house.

The master bedroom was very large, filled with anything that a couple might need. But none of that mattered. Merida was just focused on her mother.

The older woman was laying down on the bed propped up against many pillows for comfort. Her eyes were tired, but she smiled when she saw her daughter.

"Merida" she rasped

Merida smiled as she walked up to her mother "Hi mommy, she whispered, trying to hold back her tears.

Elinor chuckled. "Try not to cry, dear" she said "turn around" there is someone here to see you"

Merida turned and a smile spread over her face. she dropped to her knees and allowed the new arrival to leap into her arms.

"Mommy!"

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	19. Chapter 19

**OK some news folks. there will be no ****villains during the vacation i realized that it would be a little outlandish for villains, at least the way i planned it. so no.**

**that does not mean the story will be happy or lighthearted. it will have plenty of ups and downs as it goes along.**

**Enjoy **

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Meanwhile, Anna and Kristoff were snuggling on their shared couch; Sven curled at their feet. The two had had a very long day, and were just looking forward to a relaxing night together.

Anna for one, wanted to give Elsa a call. Elsa didn't seem to have much going on in terms of planning, so why not get together to help plan the wedding. The two hadn't seen each other in a while so that would definitely an added bonus.

Anna was happy that Elsa had managed to find love the same way she had (ok well maybe not exactly the same) but what mattered to Anna was that Elsa had managed to find a man that cared about her.

Anna knew that Elsa had so much turmoil and problems raging inside her, all of which had to do with the death of their parents so long ago. Anna had been deeply saddened of course; she had cried screamed, denying anything when it came to their deaths. But Elsa… poor Elsa hadn't even shed a tear; she just sat there a cold pale look on her face.

It wouldn't be until much later that Anna realized that Elsa had suffered what was called an emotional breakdown. Kai and Gerda had tried everything in their power to bring Elsa out of her state of shock, but it took years before Elsa had managed to recover.

Elsa a lost any sense of innocence after that. She became cold logical, and nearly overprotective of Anna after that. She could still find some sense of fun in her life but the carefree childish Elsa that she once knew was gone to her forever

Anna was forever grateful to have Elsa in her life, but she worried about her every day. Elsa was so emotionally fragile, that anything to hard for her to accept could make her snap right then and there

Anna just couldn't accept that if it were to happen again. While Elsa might be able to handle herself better, it would just be horrible.

Which was why, it seemed to Anna, Elsa having a relationship was a good thing. True, Elsa was very independent and didn't define herself by her partner, but being in a relationship says a lot.

Elsa could have easily been with someone who was in a few words, like Hans, a cruel person with little to no sympathy.

But Joseph… He was one of the guys willing to do anything for the woman he loved. He valued her thoughts and opinions.

He also knew of Elsa's insecurities. While Anna didn't know whether or not Elsa had ever told Joseph of the reasons she had nightmare, she knew that Elsa still had them.

There were plenty of nights were Elsa had woken Anna up screaming. Kai and Gerda had done their best to sooth Elsa, but it never worked. Elsa continued to have nightmares even to this day.

Anna sighed, praying that Elsa was all right. Elsa had told her that the nightmares were not as frequent since she had met Joseph; it seemed that the happier Elsa became, the less stress she had. Which was ok by Anna's degree.

Anna didn't suffer from the nightmares, at least not as frequently as Elsa had. She tried her best to cope with the loss of her parents, the same as Elsa had. Of course at the time, Elsa had been suffering from her emotional breakdown so she only had Kai and Gerda to help her through the suffering.

As an adult Anna was still as happy as she could ever be. Elsa was so reserved

Perhaps that was the difference between them.

Kristoff looked down at Anna, who indeed was completely lost in thought. He smiled and kissed her forehead. Anna jumped, not at all expecting the soft gesture. She looked up at her husband who was grinning a little too innocently for Anna's liking

Kristoff. He was such a big softie. He tried to act gruff and tough, but it was a useless gesture to even try it with Anna; she would just be able to see right through it.

She poked his chest, grinning "are you trying to tell me something, Kristoff Bjorgman?" she said giving him another poke to the chest, a teasing tone in her voice

Kristoff just gave her a look of mock innocence "why of course not, Anna Borgman. I was just kissing my wives lovely little head. If that wasn't too much of a problem for you." He said

Anna just giggled. She would never get tired of Kristoff and his random acts of love.

Anna had been through so much when it came to love. A number of boyfriends here and there throughout high school and college (though not until her second half) and then of course Hans and his cheating ways.

But now here she was in a happily loving relationship with Kristoff. She smiled hugging him closely. They hadn't been married long as of yet, but they had been together for almost two years now, and Anna was hoping to start a family with Kristoff soon. She certainly spent a large amount of time around kids so it really shouldn't be that hard to take care of one.

But Anna was still young, not even close to thirty as of yet. She and Kristoff were still getting used to being married; adding a child to the mix too soon would be a little much, or that's what Anna believed anyway

Not to mention Kai and Gerda. They were a little… stubborn about some rules that they would personally like to follow. One of them being no children until you feel you are ready. Anna did not feel ready. She wanted to be but didn't feel it was right.

But again all in good time.

She sighed and smiled at Kristoff. He gave her a look of concern.

"Anna are you sure your all right?" he asked his voice soft.

Anna shook her head. "I'm sorry Kristoff. I just have a lot going on right now." She said truthfully.

Kristoff gave her a smile "do you want to talk about it?" he asked

Kristoff was always willing to talk to Anna about her problems, no matter what they were. Most of the time they were pretty minor (usually Anna complaining about something. She used to do that a lot when she was very young) but he just let her talk anyway. It certainly helped her out more than anything else did.

"Well…" she drew out, unsure of how to continue "I'm just worried about Elsa." She admitted.

Kristoff blinked unsure whether to be shocked. Anna and Elsa were close. He had seen it with his own eyes. Every time they were together, there was nothing but smiles and laughter between them. Nothing he had ever seen drove them apart.

It was very rare for Anna to worry about Elsa. Most of the time, it was the other way around. Which made sense to Kristoff. Anna was younger and far more prone to dangerous behavior. There was this one time were Anna had decided that it would have been fun to go go-carting the problem was he let Anna drive.

Anna was, for a lack of a better word, crazy. It showed in her every day actions, but when she was let in control, she was dangerous.

Anna had tore up the track, zooming past everyone while Kristoff had held onto his seat for dear life. After that vacation, he would never allow Anna to do anything like that ever again.

Of course Anna did have her ways of convincing him to do the craziest things, no matter how crazy. It was a wonder that he was still even alive after all the things she had ever put him through.

But he loved her anyway. His life without her was definitely not as fun and he couldn't imagine life without her.

Before he met Anna his only really friend was Sven. The two had been together for a few years before hand when Kristoff bought him as a little puppy and they had been together ever since then (yes he was a dog but still) Anna brought a bit of flare into his life and he was forever grateful for that.

"I mean, I know that Elsa is doing fine and all that, but, I still worry about her. She is getting married though, so there is that too look forward too." Her eyes widened and suddenly a large smile appeared n her face. Of course whenever something happy happened Anna always managed to brighten herself up. It was one of her oddest quirks, but it worked. Especially since it took her mind of the doom and gloom.

Her smile was so large and she let out a squeal of happiness. "Ooh the wedding! I hope Elsa has at least something's planned!" it had only been a few days since the wedding had even been announced (well, not really, but Elsa was engaged, so that meant something.

Anna immediate started rambling "I should really giver her a call so that we can meet up somewhere and go over the many things that need to be done."

She grinned, "first off, we need to coordinate the flowers! Elsa loves winter so she needs everything to be nothing but white! White roses it is then

Kristoff just smiled Anna was going to be at this for what could be hours. Of course there was also the simple problem that was known as Elsa. It was Elsa's wedding, so she should be in charge of making sure she had what she wanted. Anna's input would no doubt be extremely valued, but Elsa would definitely not like it if Anna took over everything. It was her special day after all.

"And then of course the cake! It has to be chocolate. Elsa loves chocolate as much as I do, so there is going to be absolute no argument there!"

Kristoff chuckled he knew how much Anna loved chocolate. He could buy an entire box of them and Anna would be able to finish it in less than a few minutes. He never got between a woman and her beloved chocolate, ever.

He had first learned that lesson the hard way when he first met Anna. Never again

Anna just continued to talk, Kristoff not even listening now. He had completed his goal of actually getting Anna to cheer up (which really wasn't even that difficult to do any way) and now here she was just talking about Elsa's upcoming wedding as if Elsa would really agree with everything that she was saying. (maybe she would but still) Elsa really needed to have her own say on the matter.

Kristoff didn't know Elsa as well as he may want to know her (since they were in laws now) Anna had told him that Elsa was very reclusive and it took a lot for her to open up to people. Even Kristoff still had trouble during the wedding. Elsa no doubt liked him, she was just… distant was a good word to use, he supposed.

But that was ok with him, he didn't get close to many others either (hence why Sven was his only real friend). He had his family, whom he loved very dearly, but very little in the way of actual friends.

But Anna, she had a lot of friends, and he was slowly getting to know his neighbors here in the neighborhood. Anna was spending a lot of time getting to know them as well as the children that they had. Most of them went to the daycare that Anna worked at any way.

Kristoff wasn't sure if he wanted a child. Ok he did, but from they way Anna was acting it sounded like she wanted one soon. Which may or may not actually end up being the case, but he could wait a while for that. He was still working hard to make ends meet after earning enough to save up for the honeymoon he planned even before he proposed to Anna.

It was quite the trip. An island vacation with a large amount of water based attractions (Anna had done every single one of them, much to Kristoff surprise, but then again Anna was a complete daredevil, so why he was surprised was a complete shock anyway)

He and Anna had spent a large amount of time there, but then had to go through a large move in process. At first they lived quite a ways away from where they lived now, but Anna insisted on moving closer to home.

Kristoff agreed and they spent their time searching for a house, eventually finding one before moving in and refurnishing the place to their liking. It was a large amount of time and effort, but it was worth the large smile that graced Anna's face when they were finally done with it.

They first lived in an apartment together but now lived in a nice one-floor house with enough room for a few guests. It was also in a good neighborhood, which helped immensely.

Kristoff was at first shocked at Anna's choice of living. She grew up in a mansion, or so he had been told. But she was quite modest. She didn't care about money and neither did he. His family ha owned a business for years and he worked there.

He loved his job and always tried his best. It worked because the company was doing pretty well.

Anna loved her job too. She would always come home with a smile, never once complaining about the children she worked with.

If she wanted a child, she would probably ask for one soon.

Not that Kristoff was against the idea he just wanted more time. They hadn't really been married for too long. In a few months perhaps. His family was anxious for grandchildren though. After the wedding, his mother Buela had started buying baby clothes (for both genders) much to his own embarrassment. He had insisted he wouldn't have a baby that quickly (plus he could think of a few people willing to maim him if he tried)

Yeah, he wanted one when he was ready.

Anna at this point was still talking about the wedding and everything else she still wanted about it. It was going to be great, he supposed, no matter what happened.

Anna was going to be beside herself when Elsa actually did get married, that much Kristoff was going to be sure about. Anna absolutely loved it when happy things happened. Certainly seeing Elsa married counted.

But that was going to happen in quite some time. Elsa had only been engaged for a short time. Literally only the past few days.

It was going to take some time for Elsa (and anyone else) to go over the large amount of details a wedding needed (since it took Anna forever to plan their wedding) and every detail needed to be perfect. A wedding usually only happened once

He glanced at Anna who was still rambling

"We will have the reception outside"

Ok was she planning Elsa's wedding, or trying to redo hers? He had long since stopped listening since Anna's ramblings could go on for hours when she was happy, but this was literally the same thing Anna had done when she had planned their wedding (except for a few minor details)

But what could he do about it? She was just going to keep on talking no matter what he said. And besides wasn't she happy any way?

This was definitely going to take a while

"It has to be very sunny" Anna said, "Elsa loves the cold, but we don't need everyone freezing." She paused "ok maybe we should just have the reception inside then, because it will be much warmer then"

Kristoff just laughed. Anna was like this sometimes. She would ramble then realize her mistake, before just continuing to ramble on into another rant.

She was just so happy able to take the mood and lit it up to such a high level. It was one of the reasons that he loved her so much.

She was still talking about Elsa's wedding, which was surprising. She needed Elsa to talk about all of this right? Ok maybe it was good that he managed to get some manner of ideas ready, but Elsa still needed to be here to approve of them didn't she?

But Anna was just going to talk about it anyway wasn't she?

kristoff smiled placing a hand on Anna's shoulder. Anna stopped her rambling for a moment, giving him a surprised look

"Anna, its great that you have so much ready to talk about with this wedding, but you are forgetting something very important."

Anna smiled 'I know. I should really call Elsa about this shouldn't I?" she said giggling. "I guess I just got caught up in the moment"

Kristoff laughed that was very true. Anna could just go on talking for hours and hours, never quitting until she finished. Kristoff was very patient with her whenever that happened. He had to admit, it was very fun to watch her whenever she did it.

It was just sooo.. Anna. And he loved her for that.

But it was going to be very dark soon, and both of them had some work to do in the morning. Anna very well couldn't go to work falling asleep before any of the children got there before she did right?

Anna then stood up from the couch, smiling. She then walked across the room and entered the bedroom. Kristoff followed her.


	20. Chapter 20

**And here it is folks . the moment you have all been waiting for. truths are revealed and no one is going to be happy about it. i can officially say that this most likely will be the end of the happy mood of the story. eat least for the time being. from now one it will be war between Merida and Elsa.**

* * *

Some weeks later Elsa and Joseph were curled onto the couch simply enjoying a movie it was relatively late in the day and the two had just gotten off work. They enjoyed moments like this, just the two of them alone.

They certainly had enough of them. They really enjoyed the peace and quite while they could. The city could be loud at night when it wanted to be (and no doubt was), but it was never loud enough to be a massive annoyance.

Elsa had always said she wanted to move into the country side to be near Anna, but joseph just couldn't at the moment work was in overload right now because he was dealing with trade partners and dealings at the moment; he didn't know how long exactly negotiations would take and he needed to be present for every meeting should their be one. Meaning he couldn't help Elsa with anything, which he would rather do (since they needed to mediate a good place to fit both of the wants and needs.)

The only reason the two had remained in the city for all this time was mainly it was close to their jobs, but Elsa was staring to feel a little cramped in their tiny apartment.

Since they were getting married, Elsa thought that it would be perfect to scout out new places to live as well; a sort of start to a new life together.

It was something neither were certainly opposed to. It was time for a little change.

After all, Anna and Kristoff had moved out of the city when they got married. Considering that they were the only family they had, perhaps it would be best if they were closer.

Elsa giggled. She could already imagine having dinners with them every other day. Anna would certainly be ecstatic about that idea and would no doubt love to cook with Elsa

In college, Elsa had spent a lot of her time with Anna trying to teach her how to cook her first year (since Elsa was a senior). Anna, being Anna had been very excited about the prospect of being able to cook with her sister. They had started out small at first, trying easy breakfast foods, but by the end of the year, Elsa had taught Anna how to perfectly cook.

That had been one of the many experiences the two had shared that year. They of course had spent time doing many other things, such as homework, but cooking had been their favorite thing to do, even if Anna had managed to burn more than a few meals.

But who was Elsa to complain she spent most of her life watching Anna and making sure she did the right thing. After all that's what siblings were for.

And know here they were just going through life happily and healthily with the one they loved the most (romantically anyway)

The two had finally decided on a date. It would be before Christmas time and after new years (which they would spent with Anna) the two would go on their honeymoon. Elsa was set to have a girl's day with Anna to go out and try on dresses for the wedding

Elsa could not be any more excited. She felt like a giggling schoolgirl going to her high school prom for the first time. She had done that of course but only because Anna had dragged her there she didn't go with anyone and shot done any attempts for people to ask her to dance anyway.

It was like a dream come true. Elsa had already sent out the invitations, made sure her work schedule was clear and booked the catering and venue that she wanted. Sure it was going to be a long time still, about four more months, but it was better that she had everything prepared while there was still time to do so.

She certainly did like to plan ahead for everything. It just made her life a lot easier than it might otherwise end up being.

She sighed contently. Just imagining her wedding was enough to give her chills. When it finally did happen, she wanted to be ready. She knew that it was going to be an ordeal as Anna's had been quite the same, but she was ready, or at least would be when the time came up

She was worried about it. Weddings were supposed to be special. She wanted her wedding to be special. She wouldn't get the chance to do it again (and she didn't want it to have to come to that either). She wanted to marry the man she was currently sitting next to and (she blushed lightly) have his children. Watch them grow. It was all she ever wanted now.

But of course she was in no rush for that either. It was not very far away and once it did happen, she would have the rest of her life to be happy about it.

She was going to make sure of that.

But first things first the honeymoon. Though he loved the cold very much so, it felt little to cliché to go skiing afterwards in the winter (not to mention it was already going to be cold during the wedding, and Elsa just wanted to relax, not stress herself during the honeymoon.) So she wanted to do somewhere a little warmer, with beaches and a hot spring, maybe a little private resort reserved only for her and her new husband.

Yep that sounded like a very good idea. They could get some privacy, and just enjoy themselves.

But again, all in due time. Right now, Elsa was just looking forward to the wedding, making sure everything was planned and well thought out. Everything was almost complete, so waiting was the only name of the game as of right now.

She was just so excited. She couldn't help it she wanted to get married. Anna had been this excited at the time right? She was bouncing up and down almost every day Elsa saw her screaming about how she was going to be a married woman. Elsa now knew what that felt like. Of course she was trying to be a lot more composed than Anna was, but it was proving very difficult to try.

Oh boy. It just could not happen fast enough, now could it?

Elsa was never one to be very impatient with things. She enjoyed taking her time, watching things carefully and not acting very rashly unless under stress or something.

But now here she was wishing that her wedding day was closer because she just couldn't wait to be married.

She sighed and snuggled into Joseph, enjoying the warmth that his body produced. It was king of ironic, because he always said that she felt cold.

Guess they just happened to balance each other out.

She smiled. She absolutely loved moments like this. There was absolutely nothing better than this.

She was so happy. She was so in love with him. She couldn't believe it. If they hadn't met the way they had all those months ago, Elsa was certain she would never have met such an amazing man.

Growing up she was cold and ignored most men. It wasn't that she wasn't interested. She was just isolated by choice and didn't want to be hurt. This changed after Anna met Kristoff, because Elsa saw that there was indeed a man who cared more for the woman he loved than himself.

And now here she was in the same situation.

She just couldn't be more thankful.

She closed her eyes, just simply getting lost in the moment. As she did so, she felt a pair of lips peck her head. Opening her eyes, she smiled and her loving fiancé.

Joseph was giving her a very large grin, his green eyes twinkling "getting comfortable Elsa?" he asked sweetly. Elsa leaned forward and kissed his lips briefly. "You know it." she said, her voice a mere whisper

He laughed. it always amazed Joseph how calm Elsa was even when he knew she was screaming on the inside. She rarely ever lost her temper or any control of her emotion (except when she was having nightmares)

He knew she was excited for the wedding. She had spent every day trying to clear up the matters any minute she could. He had helped of course, but she definitely did most of the work.

She was so happy and he wanted to make sure that she would stay that way for the rest of her life.

It would be something to say the least. But he would never hurt her. She was everything to him. She was more than just the person he wanted to marry. She was a strong confident woman. She was beautiful, sweet and kind.

She was more than he could ever ask for.

But they made each other happy, and there was absolutely nothing that would be able to tear them apart.

The two just continued to lay there on the couch, lost in their own little world. At least until they heard the doorbell of their apartment.

The two jumped, taken by surprise by the sound; it wasn't like them to receive many, if any visitors. Elsa got up from the couch and walked to the door. She opened it, but found no one there. Instead there was a little envelope. She picked it up.

'To Joseph, from Merida'

Elsa frowned. Merida? Elsa only knew of one person named Merida, the woman that she had met at the restaurant several weeks ago. How… did Joseph know someone named Merida? Or was it…

Elsa wasn't one to pry into her fiancé's personal life but her curiosity was getting the better of her.

She opened the card

Inside was a birthday invitation. To the party of a little girl, She had brown hair and green eyes, which looked vaguely familiar, but she clearly resembled the woman that Elsa had met.

There was also a note

'Joseph… I know that's it's been a while… and I know that you must think terrible of me, for what I did to you all those years ago. But please, I don't want anything bad between us. It would mean the world to me if you came to my daughter's birthday.

With love, Merida'

Elsa read the card several times, trying to understand. The woman in the restaurant… Who was she to Joseph? She clearly knew his address. But that was impossible. They had moved in here after they had gotten together. The letter mentioned an event that had happened years ago, before Elsa had met Joseph

She felt her heart clench with worry. What was she supposed to do, she couldn't very well keep this a secret. Was Joseph expecting this letter? If he was why hadn't he told her about this soon

She closed the note and put it back in the envelope. She felt scared, unsure what to do. According to the invitation the party was in a few days. Elsa was not one to be rude, so she couldn't very well say no, at least not without good reason.

Plus, since this Merida seemed to know Joseph, only he could answer her question.

She closed the door, and returned to the living room area. What was she going to say? Her heart was racing and she couldn't help but feel worried

Trying her best not to look worried, she put on her best fake smile and said, "it was an envelope. Joseph, apparently, we are being invited to a party."

Joseph frowned. A party? He hated parties. Plus, no one had ever told him of any sort of event going on; he didn't now of anyone who had birthdays this time of year. If it was a work thing, he was certain he would have been told of it.

"Whose it from?" he asked carefully.

Elsa bit her lip. She had to see his reaction. "Its from a Merida… Dunbroch. About her daughter." She said carefully.

Joseph felt his heart stop dead. Daughter? Merida had a daughter?! Since when?!

She had run off on him 4 years ago. Just how old was her daughter. Did Merida have an affair behind his back? No that was unlikely Merida was more willing to punch a guy than allow them to touch her.

In fact… she said that he was her….

He frowned, looking away from Elsa. He couldn't tell her. At least not the whole truth "oh its no one Elsa just my ex fiancée" Elsa would be bound to ask to many questions that he did not want to have to answer. I would end up being a very uncomfortable conversation

Instead he said, "she was Rapunzel's roommate in college"

Elsa stiffened, unnerved by his reaction. If she was just a roommate, why would he be so… cautious about his answer.

She made her way to the couch and sat done next to him, waiting for his response..

She knew he had is right to privacy, but… there was more to the story then he was letting on.

Joseph just continued to look away from her, his mouth growing dry. Elsa was worried and he couldn't just let her do that.

But how was she going to react. She certainly wasn't going to like that not at all. But it would be better than lying to her. He didn't want to lose her trust, even if that meant losing her love. Better to go down telling the truth than digging a lie.

He took a deep breath… "We… were close. Rapunzel introduced us and we started dating for a few years… but she left me…. This was the first I've heard from her in all these years."

Ok he wasn't going to tell her about the day at the office. An ex girlfriend was one thing, kissing her was another.

Elsa gasped. An ex girlfriend was asking an ex boyfriend…. Her own fiancée to come to her daughter's birthday. What was Merida thinking?

Elsa wasn't going to just let Merida take Joseph from her. If that's what Merida wanted. Elsa was happy with Joseph, more than she had ever been in her life. And if Merida left him before they had even met, why reach out to him now? Judging by the note, she seemed upset. Perhaps they had a strained friendship she wanted to mend?

Elsa gulped hoping that was the case. She thought back to the picture of the little girl and looked at her fiancé. They had the same hair… the same eyes….

Elsa bit her lip, suppressing a gasp. No…

She grabbed Josephs collar, pulling him toward her surprised, Joseph looked at Elsa, before she smashed her lips into his.

She wasn't going to let him go. She was his and his alone.

Merida was not going to take her happiness from her.

Her lips meshed with his, her tongue asking for entrance. He obliged and their tongues met. She crawled onto his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist.

The two just kissed on the couch their hands roaming each other's bodies.

Elsa loved it when he touched her. it made her shiver with excitement and warm inside.

Later, the two just lay in bed, Elsa's head resting on Joseph's chest. She felt so conflicted. They just made love, but Elsa didn't feel so special. She glanced at the ring that never left her finger. Her engagement ring. Oh what was she going to do?

Merida was sure to want Joseph to come to her daughter's party, but if the purpose of his visit was the girl… would he stay and look after her raising his daughter…. Would he leave Elsa?

Elsa felt her heart clench. No. Joseph wouldn't. He was her fiancée; he loved her and even if he loved Merida, they had broken up; she had left him. Joseph may have loved her several years ago, but now? His heart belonged to her. And hers belonged to his. Nothing, not even Merida was going to be able to drive them apart

Joseph glanced down at Elsa. He didn't care what Merida wanted. If he did go to the party, Merida was sure to put up a fight. A fight between his ex and fiancée was the last thing he wanted to happen. Merida was among the most stubborn of people that he had ever met in his life. Elsa was far more modest and hated fighting, even if she was bold at times.

Yeah a fight between a stubborn woman and a bold one would not do well at all.

But that still left him with one question. How long did Merida think she could hide the truth from him?

Why didn't she tell him? Was she scared that he would reject her? He had loved her. he was going to marry her, did she expect him to just drop everything because of that? it was a joint effort; Merida couldn't take all the blame.

But know here he was engaged to a woman he loved more than anyone else; even Merida, despite holding a special place in his heart.

He wouldn't leave her because of Merida's mistake. She was paying the price. He was not going to let her take him and Elsa down with her.

This was just too much. He needed to talk to her and get the answers that he needed. Merida owed that much to him.

Merida wanted him to go to the party? Fine. He might have to. But he wasn't going to go because she asked him to. He was going to go because they were going to have a very long talk about the truth.


	21. Chapter 21

**Oh the calm before the storm.**

* * *

Merida glanced at the large backyard that seemed to be perfect. There were many tables and chairs, plenty of food and drinks (mostly flavored cakes and milk) and plenty of other things that could keep three year olds entertained.

Not many people were coming to the party anyway; Merida didn't want to lose track of her daughter in their anyway. only some of her fathers colleagues and their sons were coming.

So were Rapunzel and Eugene. Merida was thankful for that because Rapunzel was the aunt that her daughter never had. Rapunzel absolutely adored her. Kelly always loved it when Rapunzel came over. They were too far away, so it was almost a weekend thing. Merida could almost hear Kelly screaming "auntie Rapunzel" whenever the blond arrived.

As for Eugene, Kelly wasn't sure if she liked him. she did, but she would always find him to be a little crazy. With his wild tales (which she could not get enough off) he seemed a little off. Though that didn't stop Kelly from hug tackling him whenever he came.

Merida chuckled. Maybe Eugene would get a ruptured spleen from all that one day.

Kelly grew up happily, with everyone spoiling her every which way. It was hard not to with her adorable eyes and bright smile.

That looked just like her father.

Merida frowned remembering the day she first found out she was pregnant.

_Merida awoke in her bed. She felt exhausted, despite having had a good sleep the night before. her stomach also felt queasy and she almost felt it lurch. She opened her mouth and retched. She covered her mouth and flew out of bed running to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time. She vomited her dinner and groaned._

_She sat up going to her sink and drinking some water and used mouth wash. What had just happened? she never felt that queasy before._

_She returned to her bed and sat on it, ignoring her frantic heartbeat. She didn't really feel ill, and the only other thing that was out of the ordinary was a strange craving for food._

_She stiffened craving.._

_She looked at her stomach going red. She and Joseph had… done it, some weeks ago. Was it possible?_

_But it couldn't e. they used protection, didn't they? Merida rubbed her head. She had been so angry because her mother had called scolding her for her recent behavior and then the rest of the night was a blur after that._

_She did remember moaning passion and skin, then waking up naked beside Joseph the next morning. She had never been so angry in her life._

_Merida took a deep breath and got dressed leaving the apartment to go to a pharmacy shop._

Well it turned out she was pregnant but when she and Joseph left for their little trip she had left him first thing and never saw him again after that rather than tell him she was pregnant. She had been afraid since the pregnancy was unplanned, that he would leave her with the baby. Well that happened anyway since she was the one who left him, but she didn't feel rejected at least.

She was even more grateful that her parents, particularly her mother wasn't going to throw her out of the house after she told them the truth. Elinor felt partially responsible since Merida told her it was the night they had gotten into and argument over the phone before hand.

Though that didn't stop her from being angry about Merida's careless behavior. She ranted about how poor Merida's decision was (both getting pregnant and running off) and demanded that she find Joseph.

But Merida refused believing that Joseph hated her. which turned out not to be the exact case considering he was polite to her when she saw him.

But by then it was just far to late. He was engaged to a very beautiful woman. who just happened to be their best friends cousin!

Merida tightened her fists not sure what to do with that information. Rapunzel had known Joseph since childhood. had Elsa?

Merida shook her head. It didn't matter of course. She was going to get Joseph here. If his lass came, then she had ways to deal with that to.

She wanted Joseph to be a part of her.. their daughters life. But that meant he had to stay. Kelly needed her father here with her. no child should have their parents separated (though Kelly knew her father was 'gone')

Merida refused to talk about Joseph with Kelly while she was growing up; she had never even seen a picture of her father. Merida refused to have Kelly ask about him. it led to a lot of crying on Kellys part.

Merida was sad to see her daughter like that, but she was just too young to understand the events that led to her birth.

Kelly's natural curiosity was normal; her classmates all had their fathers wit them. it make Kelly feel isolated from others and she was teased about her father constantly. Merida had threatened the school on more than one occasion, but nothing really came from it. Merida knew that Kelly was going to the best school in the town, changing schools was out of the question.

Kindergarten was so tough.

Merida knew she wasn't the best of mothers but she was doing her best to raise her daughter well (minus the things she hated that her mother did to her growing up.) it certainly didn't hurt that her parents and brothers were there to help out (though her brothers were still young)

If there was one thing Merida could be grateful for it was that her family would always be there to help her out. Elinor entertained her with fairy tales. Fergus played with her and her brothers made her laugh.

Merida spent all the time she could with her daughter, sometimes taking her to work. Kelly always had a great time whenever Merida took her. everyone doted on the little girl, who was so well behaved.

Merida smiled. Kelly was the light of her life. Even if she was unplanned, she was the best thing that could have ever happened to her. even if her father was gone.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. Merida jumped surprised to see Rapunzel staring at her with concern

"Merida?" she asked.

Merida bit her lip, knowing Rapunzel was concerned about her wellbeing especially for Kellys party. Rapunzel was the one who sent out the invitations, one of them being to Joseph (since Rapunzel was the one who knew his address )

Rapunzel did not agree with Merida. While she believed that Kelly should get to know her father,, this was the worst way to do so. If everything went wrong, there was no way to hide it from everyone.

Hopefully Merida would wait until after the party to drop the news on everyone.

Merida's stubbornness really got on Rapunzels nerves sometimes. This whole thing just could have been avoided if Merida told him the truth years ago. But better late than never right?

Still Rapunzel was angry and sad. She had promised Merida to never tell Joseph about Kelly and it tore her apart. Joseph was her father; he had every right to know! But Rapunzel wouldn't break her promise.

Even so, it was not Rapunzel's place to tell him. Merida was the only one who could; should tell him! ok she was going to tell him soon hopefully, but it should have happened years ago!

Rapunzel sighed. This was not going to go well at all.

Merida frown "its ok Rapunzel, I'm just worried about Kelly and her party." Merida explained to her old friend.

Rapunzel knew there was more than that. Merida was never a nervous nelly over small things like a party. Kelly sure, but the only bad thing about the party was going to be Joseph, and Elsa should she come. Elsa… if she was coming there was no doubt she would learn that Joseph was the father of Merida's child. What would that do to her? Elsa was her cousin. She didn't want to see her get hurt.

What was she going to do. Elsa would no doubt be hurt by such betrayal (well not really since Kelly was born long before Elsa had met Joseph) but knowing that Rapunzel knew alone was a betrayal.

It hurt Rapunzel, but it was far too late. The truth would come out and there was nothing that could be done about it.

Rapunzel just wanted things to go well between her friends. She wanted joseph to be apart of Kelly's life, but she also wanted Elsa to marry him. Merida couldn't do that.

Unfortunately Merida was known to get her way most of the time (being intimidating did that). if she did try and break them up here, Rapunzel would not be apart of it. she would stand by her cousin no matter what. Joseph and Merida could fight, but she refused to drag Elsa straight into the middle of it.

It wasn't Elsa's fight per se. Kelly had her parents. They should be the ones deciding not Elsa.

Elsa would make a kind stepmother, but only after Merida and Joseph reconciled and decided what was best for their daughter.

Rapunzel frowned back at Merida "listen Merida, I need to talk to you about Joseph…"

Merida scoffed "listen lass, I know what your going to say. I will tell him about Kelly. I know, I should have told him years ago, but I'm doing that now."

Rapunzel groaned. Merida was just trying to stall now. Rapunzel knew that Merida was going to tell Joseph, since that was the overall point of inviting him here.

"no Merida it isn't that! its about Elsa! She will not take the news that her fiancée, the man she is marrying! Is the father of his ex girlfriends daughter! Why would you do this to them Merida? They are happy together!"

Merida's frown deepened. She was doing this because she still wanted joseph. He was Kelly's father, he needed to be here for her. he hadn't married Elsa yet! There was still time for him to change his mind!

Losing was never and option not when it came to Merida. She was going to make sure that Joseph would come back to her, but only for Kelly's sake. Surely he could see that?

Kelly was his daughter! Shouldn't that matter to him once he was told? Merida knew he cared about family and Kelly was his own flesh and blood. He would stay. For the little girl that needed her father.

"you don't understand Rapunzel! You have a perfect little life with Eugene, your parents! Kelly needs her father! She is teased constantly, I can answer, let alone ask questions about her father!"

Merida would have continued but Rapunzel was having none of it. Merida needed a wake up call!

"that's your fault Merida! Not his! He would have come if you told him! but now? He is getting married Merida! Do you understand! Married! they are in love and they will get married! he will gladly be her for Kelly. But do not ask him to leave Elsa for you!"

Merida turned red, gritting her teach at Rapunzels words. No! Joseph had no choice but to stay. He couldn't just commute here! Kelly would want to see her father! What was Merida supposed to do if he couldn't come see her every day! No child deserved that!

Elsa would just have to learn that.

"no Rapunzel you haven't seen kelly cry the way I have. She has no friends and no one to help her a school. I can't bear to continue seeing her like that. Joseph is the only one who can help her. he can raise her pick her up from school teach her things I can't!"

"you have your brothers for that!" Rapunzel argued

"Their teenagers!" Merida screamed "they are not going to be the ones raising my daughter. Wee devils they are!"

that was true considering they were little trouble makers growing up. Thankfully Kelly wasn't the same, but she didn't want her influenced by her uncles behavior.

Three of her brothers were enough.

Kelly was still young, so Merida wanted to make sure she had better influences than her teenaged uncles.

As well, Kelly shouldn't have to live in a world where her parents were separated. It wasn't the most ideal situation for a child who had to good parents.

Kelly was already shy. Merida did not want to have anything worse happen to her. Kelly needed stable influences in her life. The only way should could get that was if she lived under the same roof as both her parents.

So one way or another. Joseph was just going to have to stay.

Rapunzel huffed and turned away from Merida. Merida had always been this stubborn. She would never take no for an answer and would always fight. That would explain so much about her and her mother.

But this wasn't her mother. This was Joseph a man capable of making his own decisions. He wouldn't just leave Elsa for Merida. She had seen how much in love they were in. they were soul mates, truly meant for one another. If Merida couldn't see that, then she was just….

Why did Merida have to be that selfish. She ran away. She was the one who hid Kelly from her father. Now she wanted him back because he was engaged to be married to another woman!

If Merida still loved him, then she should let Elsa have him. Elsa had gained his love in far more ways than Merida had. Joseph had been a very different man. He was scared to talk to woman; it was only with her help that he was able to talk to Merida and date her. how Merida even liked him was a mystery Rapunzel still couldn't figure out. Merida had flat out refused almost anyone who asked her out, but was willing to go out with a shy boy who never dated anyone.

Rapunzel had a few ideas. Either Merida was lonely, lust or liked being the dominant one in the relationship. Perhaps all three were possible. Maybe that was why they had gone out for as long as they had. But either way, it still led to Kelly and now Merida wanted the best for her daughter, even at the expense of others happiness.

Why couldn't they all just get along?

Merida looked away as well. Rapunzel just couldn't understand. She hadn't known heartbreak the way Merida had. Ok she was abused and didn't have a real friend until Joseph came along, but she still turned out ok and healed from the ordeal

They said healing takes time, but Merida never had. She just wanted Joseph back. She had her happiest times when she had dated him.

He was his first… everything really. Shouldn't that matter to him?

No what should matter was his daughter!

The children always came first, no matter what. That's how it was like for Merida (though her parents got along) so that's what it would be like for Kelly!

Rapunzel turned back to her friend. She just had to make Merida understand. Joseph would never forgive Merida if she deliberately tried to tear him and Elsa apart. There was no need for such things. What did Merida expect him to do if that happened fall right back into her arms. No! he would be angry and never want to see her again. he wouldn't want to have anything to do with Merida if that was the case.

They needed to find a way to end this conflict peacefully, so that it would end in a way that would be the benefit of everyone. If that meant Joseph left with Elsa than it would have to be like that. but if Merida broke them up, that would be the worst thing.

And why should Merida hate Elsa. Sure she was dating Joseph, going to marry him even, but that was Merida's fault. If Merida wanted to marry Joseph then she shouldn't have lied to him all those years ago. So she shouldn't blame Elsa for that.

But Merida was always going to be that stubborn. Someone needed to talk to her and get through to her so that she could finally move on with her life. It was the only way.

Kelly was a smart girl, as long as she understood that her parents loved each other and would do their best to make sure that she was raised properly. That should be good enough.

But that was never going to be good enough for Merida. Merida wanted everything. She had been like this ever since she found out that she was pregnant.

There just had to be a better way than that. if only they could just talk calmly about the situation. Not likely to happen if Merida was included in those talks. She was going to get violent real fast.

But she needed to be calm, not for Josephs sake, but for Kelly's. Kelly could not see her parents first interaction as a fight. It would be too much for her. no child should endure that.

"Merida" she began "I know you still love him. and he loves you" she explained "he will love Kelly. You raised her to be strong, just like you. Joseph will want to help you. But don't ask him to leave Elsa, because he will never do that to her. I've seen it. "

Merida huffed refusing to listen to Rapunzel she loved him first and Kelly was his daughter.

She turned and walked away, leaving Rapunzel alone.


	22. Chapter 22

**last chapter before the conflict begins**

* * *

Elsa Joseph Kristoff and Anna finally arrived at the Dunbroch estate (Elsa had decided it was best if all four of them went, if just for a little of support) they were immediately amazed by it. The house was huge, almost castle like, similar to the one Elsa and Anna had grown up in.

It was a little extravagant, but they weren't going to complain. After all, it was a party going on, so why should they complain.

Well except for the reason they were even at this party in the first place.

Elsa cringed remembering the exact conversation she had with Anna. Needless to say Anna did not take it as gracefully as Elsa had

_"He's a WHAAAAAAT?!" Anna screamed over the phone. Elsa had to pull away from said item, because Anna's voice was very loud at times especially when she was upset or angry._

_It wouldn't surprise Elsa if she were feeling both right now. After all Elsa was feeling the exact same way. The only reason she was going to the party was for moral support (and to find out f what she suspected was really true)_

_She just didn't like the idea that Joseph had an ex girlfriend who was the mother of his child (whom judging by his reaction, didn't seem to know existed.) that being said she needed to set things straight with Merida, namely, what the three of them would do now that Elsa knew about her fiancée's daughter. _

_It also struck as odd that it happened the way it did. Weeks after meeting Elsa, she sends an invitation, to her house inviting her over to the party of a 3 year old? There was something more sinister going on and Elsa was sure she wasn't going to like it_

_"I know Anna. He never told me, and I actually think he didn't know himself. He said that Merida left him. I think she left him before she knew she was pregnant."_

_Anna huffed on the other end of the line. "Even so, why now? After all this time not telling him…. what changed?"_

_Elsa bit her lip. This was a tough question to answer. But she had an idea "I think I met her a few weeks ago at a restaurant in town. She must have seen Joseph and me and gotten jealous"_

_It was ridiculous to say the least. Couples broke up all the time, sometimes over the dumbest reasons known to man. That being said a child wasn't something you keep from a parent. Joseph had every right to know about his child, even if he didn't have a hand in raising her._

_So why did Merida keep her daughter a secret? Elsa wasn't sure; At least for the moment._

But now with the entire house of the Dunbroch family looming over her, Elsa wasn't sure she wanted to be here.

She glanced at Joseph, who looked just as upset as she felt. She wasn't surprised at all by that. His ex girlfriend invited him to a party. One he hated parties and two he broke up with her, but now he was here because of his child

While dating another woman

Elsa hated the fact that they were here, but it had to be done.

_Joseph sat staring at the picture of the little girl that was apparently his daughter. What else was he supposed to think? Merida said she was about to be three. She ran off on him four years ago. They had a night of passion just weeks before that!_

_She clearly resembled Merida, but her eyes and hair color were the exact same as his. _

_Why would Merida go through great lengths to hide her from him? He glanced over at Elsa, who was doing her best not to cry._

_"Elsa… I'm so sorry. I have to know. If this girl is my daughter… I need to know why Merida would keep her from me."_

_Elsa hiccupped; she wrapped her arms around her self, turning away so he wouldn't see the tears running down her cheeks._

_Joseph was her fiancée, her lover. She wanted him to be the father of her children. But he had another daughter, with an ex girlfriend who may still love him. But she couldn't have him. _

_Joseph couldn't just leave her. He may want to see his new daughter, but he wouldn't just leave her for that reason. He was far to kind for that. Merida was just using their daughter to drive Elsa away_

_Joseph wrapped his arms around her pulling her close "Elsa… I would never hurt you._

_Elsa turned in his arms leaning against his chest. She believed him. it just didn't help her unease._

If Merida wanted a fight, she was going to get one. Elsa did not like top be confrontational, but she wasn't just going to let Joseph go because that is what Merida wanted. Even so it was Josephs decision. Merida couldn't just control someone like that.

It was just that she had put everyone in such a compromising position. No matter which way it was put, someone was going to lose. Elsa just hoped that everything would work out well for everyone.

Even worse, how would it affect the little girl? She never knew her father, and would no doubt want him to stay with her. Could he refuse her? Elsa knew what it was like to grow up without a parent. This little girl wouldn't want Joseph to leave (if she knew about their relationship).

Elsa just couldn't argue with that. Every child needed a mother and a father. Merida had refused her daughter of that all her life. Now that her father was coming; How could Merida just allow him to leave? How could Elsa?

She shuddered. She loved Joseph and would never consider leaving him over this. They would get through it together.

Nothing would stand in her way. Merida was not going to take the best thing that ever happened away from her.

The four exited their car and made their way up to the house. From outside everything appeared to be quite normal. There wasn't any sort of indication that there was anything going on. If there was a party it was happening inside or somewhere else.

Joseph was not happy about this. Merida had a lot of explaining to do and he was going to make sure they had that talk long before the day was over. He just needed to get her alone first. He did not want to have in argument in front of her family, nor his friends.

He was sure Fergus and Elinor weren't going to be happy about this either. Of course Merida was the one who had left him (Merida might have explained it differently to her parents) their grandchild was left without her father to raise her and guide her. He wouldn't be surprised if Elinor went on a very long rant trying to put him in his place

Naturally he would shrug it off. Elinor was a rather intimidating woman, but she really held no power over him. Still he might deserve it, since he had no hand in raising his child (though he did get Merida pregnant)

Whether or not Merida's parents were still angry over that (if they were indeed angry; probably) wasn't the issue now. It was whether or not they expected him to stay for the little girl that was no doubt inside that house waiting for her birthday party to begin.

They would want him to stay. But he couldn't. He wanted to get to know about his daughter, help raise her, but he had a life with Elsa a woman that he truly cared for. He couldn't just walk away from that. He was going to marry Elsa and have a family with her. If Merida wanted him to be a part of their daughter's life, she was going to have to learn that. If she wanted to marry him, then she should have said yes all those years ago.

Well, at least now he knew why she had run off.

But she didn't have too. He would have married her and helped raise the child that they created together. That's what was most important.

But that no longer mattered. Merida was left to deal with the consequences on her own and he had a new life. He wouldn't leave it behind.

Still he was not looking forward to any of the conversations that were going to await him. how was he going to explain to the birthday girl he was her father. Would Merida or anyone else get in his way?

Even worse, how could he explain to her that he loved another woman?

But all those things would have to be explained long after the party.

The four made their way up to the extravagant front. Door. Quickly Joseph knocked, waiting for someone to answer the door. The front door opened revealing the Dunbrochs head maid.

Her name was Maudie. Joseph had met her once before on his first and only visit to the Dunbroch household. She was very meek and was very easy to scare. There had been so man times where the triplets had her nearly sent to the infirmary for almost scaring her to death multiple times.

In short, she was the triplet's favorite pastime when they were younger. Or at least that's what he heard from Merida when he first met the older woman. by then, the triplet were reaching double digits and while they continued to play pranks, they were far more sophisticated than that.

He doubted though that they were any more mature these days. at least when it came to pranking. Though he assumed they wouldn't be playing any pranks today because it was their niece's birthday party.

Well that was one less thing he had to worry about.

Maudies face broke into a very large grin upon seeing Joseph. Clearly she recognized him and didn't seem to hate the fact he wasn't around (that is if she knew)

"Joseph!" she cried happily stepping aside to allow the four entrances into their house.

They did so. Joseph looked around. Not much had changed in the past four years. Sure there was a large amount of party favors in the room but it looked virtually untouched from last time

Well it wasn't like they needed that much redecorating the house itself was very huge. If they wanted to redecorate one room, they would have to do most of the house along with it.

So it was safe to say there really wasn't any need to do it in the first place.

That being said there wasn't an inch of the room not covered by some birthday themed something. There were "happy birthday Kelly!" signs everywhere

"Kelly…" Joseph whispered. Merida must have named her that.

Speaking of which… where was she. He was honestly surprised that she hadn't made an appearance with Kelly. Considering the fact that's why he was here. It was surprising she wasn't nearby.

She was probably somewhere making sure everything was going well for whoever was joining the party.

Well at least she was through. He glanced at Elsa who was practically squeezing his arm. He could tell she was nervous. Even if she was not trying to show it, she wasn't looking forward to meeting Merida.

He couldn't blame her. This was going to be pretty uncomfortable for everyone. Thats why he had asked Kristoff and Anna to join them. In case something went wrong, they would be there to help Elsa out.

He just hoped that it wouldn't come to that. The last thing he needed was a full out catfight between these two women. Naturally they probably were more mature tan that (Elsa had never once gotten into a fight with anyone), but with Merida's temper, he would never know what could happen.

Merida's temper had gotten her into trouble on more than one occasion while they were dating. If she ever felt insulted, she would just slap the person, she would give him a black eye. He had seen her do that.

While it was amusing, he did not want it to happen here. This was a happy day. While there needed to be some discussions, they would hopefully happen much later, when they could get some privacy

Maudies smile widened when she caught sight of Elsa and the others "why hello!" she said, "You must be Josephs friends."

Elsa stiffened she was more than a friend. She gave a tight-lipped smile. "My name is Elsa Winters. I'm Josephs Fiancée!" she all but growled.

Oh boy, Elsa was starting to get a little upset.

That wasn't good

Anna quickly stepped forward to ease the situation "I'm Anna Bjorgman!" she said with a much friendlier tone in her voice. She gestured to her husband "this is Kristoff, my husband"

Kristoff smiled briefly.

Maudie, if she was at all offended by Elsa's attitude, didn't show it. Instead she gave Joseph a smile "Merida is expecting you."

Joseph bit his lip. Of course she would. She was the one who invited him. He smiled "where is she? He asked. Maudie turned around gesturing for them to follow her "she is getting everything ready for Kelly! After all, its not every day a young woman turns 3"

Joseph smiled. Everyone seemed to be happy. The question was, how long would it stay like that.

Judging by Elsa's reaction, things might be getting a little heated, really fast.

The four followed Maudie to what appeared to be the backyard where they found Merida talking to Rapunzel

Joseph felt his heart stop dead. Rapunzel was here? He had no idea about that. Did… did she know about Kelly?

"Miss Dunbroch! Miss Fitzherbert!" Maudie cried. The two younger women looked at Maudie, then notice the others.

Rapunzel's face broke into a smile and she quickly ran towards Joseph and Elsa. She hugged them closely.

"I'm so glad you could make it." she said pulling away from them.

Joseph stared at her face. She was smiling, but her eyes were faded. Like she was hiding something,

She had to know. Merida must have told her. She couldn't have gone for so long without telling anyone. Rapunzel was Merida's best friend. There was almost nothing never kept from the other.

Joseph smiled "glad to be here Rapunzel." He said. He was always happy to see his old friend. He just wished that it wasn't under these circumstances.

His gaze turned to Merida, who was walking toward him rather sexily. Was she serious? She was literally trying to flirt with him while his fiancée was here?

This was… he couldn't describe it. He could feel Elsa tense beside him. He wasn't surprised. With the way Merida was looking at him, they were not going to get along any time soon.

Elsa glared at the red head woman who was eying her fiancée. She was right. It was the same woman she had met at the restaurant several weeks before. She couldn't believe it. She had tried to comfort the same woman who had once held a place in her fiancées heart!

And now here she was trying to steal him away. This was not going to be a very happy day for Elsa.

Still there was a little girl around so until there was a time that she could talk to Merida, she was going to have to deal with it.

Merida approached Joseph, batting her eyelashes. She was completely ignoring the platinum beauty, whom was currently sending daggers her way.

Merida looked at Joseph who was given her a smile. Oh how she missed that smile. She placed a hand on his chest, ignoring his stiffness

"Joseph it's so wonderful to see you again," she said breathlessly

Joseph ignored his ex's attempt at flirting with him. "Merida." He said, "How's your daughter?

Merida pilled her hand away. He was getting straight to the point wasn't he? Well she had told him about Kelly and he was certain to have questions about her. He was her father after all.

Merida wished she hadn't kept Kelly a secret from him because he was angry. Of course, he had every right to be. She never told him before and now that he was engaged, it was not the best thing to hear

She smiled at him, a smile that she knew he liked "she's fine. She's upstairs with my mother. Someone has to keep her busy so that she doesn't see all the work we have to do before the party even starts"

Kelly was very hyperactive and she couldn't wait to have her party.

But was she ready to face her father?

Kelly had no idea Joseph was her father, since Merida had forbade any questions about him in the first place. But now she had the chance to meet him.

More than just meet him. Get to know him, learn from him.

Merida needed Joseph here with her; To help her raise Kelly.

Unfortunately, Elsa wasn't going to let him go without a fight.

Merida was no stranger to such things. She had been in plenty over the past few years and had come out on top every time.

She looked at everyone else, ignoring his or her heated glares, before turning to Maudie "Could you please go get Kelly?" she asked her old maid.

Maudie smiled before making her way back inside the house.

Leaving the five young men and woman to stand there awkwardly to await the young birthday girl's arrival.

* * *

**Any Thoughts on what will happen next? cause it won't be pretty**


	23. Chapter 23

**Party! Well at least before everything goes bad.**

* * *

Joseph watched as a little girl no older than 3 bounced her way outside. Her hair was bushy and curly similar to Merida's only a chocolate brown as opposed to Merida's fiery red. Her face was identical to Merida's at that age, freckles and all, but her eyes were that of Joseph's, a dark green instead of turquoise blue. Her face was covered in freckles and she had a gleeful smile on her face. She was wearing a light blue dress and it looked like she had been waiting all day for this moment.

She bounced outside, only to stop when she saw the four people she had never seen before.

She politely bowed and said in a thick Scottish accent "hi! I'm Kelly! I'm going to be 4 years old today!"

Well she was polite at least. Joseph bent down on one knew extending his hand. "Hello Kelly, My name is Joseph. I was a good friend of your mother."

Kelly shook his hand. "Nice to meet you!"

Joseph stood up smiling. Merida had done a good job raising Kelly. She was polite to him. She was probably polite to anyone; but hopefully not naïve enough (even for a child) to talk to strangers.

Kelly then turned to Elsa and the others "hello!" she said.

Anna being Anna swooped in and hugged the child "you are so adorable!" she said squeezing the girl tightly. Kelly wheezed shocked by Anna's strength

Merida stiffened. This woman had no business hugging her child. A simple handshake would have been enough! Kelly might be polite but that was no reason for anyone to just hug her!

Elsa felt her heart sink as she watched Anna hug the child. Kelly was Joseph's daughter! But here Anna was treating her like a teddy bear. Like they were going to be best friends or something!

Elsa couldn't blame anna for liking her; Kelly did look adorable, and Anna had always like children. It just made her uncomfortable that Anna was treating the situation so lightly.

Anna put Kelly down (who was trying to regain her breath) trying really hard not to squeal.

Kelly afterwards looked at Kristoff and waved shyly, before turning to Elsa. Her Eyes widened as she stared at the woman, noticing particularly her hair. She looked like an angel, with her pale complexion blue eyes and platinum hair.

Hi! Are you an angel!" she squealed, literally jumping in the air. Elsa flinched. She wasn't really sure what to say. She had never been called an angel before (nor had she dealt with many children. Plus she was still a little concerned about how she was going to even be with this child when she had a tense relationship with her mother (who didn't like her, nor would like the fact her child was around Elsa)

Elsa put on her best fake smile and extended her hand. "If that's what you think I am."

This had an unexpected result. Kelly tackled Elsa hugging her tightly. This caused Elsa to stumble and fall to the ground. Kelly fell on top of her, causing Elsa to groan

"Yay! An angel! Mommy! Auntie Rapunzel, can we keep her?" she asked her eyes shining with hope.

Anna burst out laughing. This girl was too much. She wanted to keep Elsa like she was some sort of pet.

Joseph for his part, gently lifted Kelly off Elsa, before pulling her to her feet. He looked at Kelly "I'm sorry Kelly, but this angel has to stay with me. We're getting married."

Joseph knew that that was going to tick Merida off; She gave him a subtle glare out of the corner of her eye. Well what was he supposed to do? She had tried to flirt with him for crying out loud.

Kelly pouted, before going to her mother and wrapping her arms around her leg "I want an angel…" she whined.

Merida gave a small laugh. Kelly was still in that childhood wonder phase. But the fact that she wanted to keep a grown woman as a pet was sort of amusing. Minus the fact that this woman was a bane at the moment.

Elsa was the same woman she had met several weeks before. this was no surprise, she had seen a picture in Josephs office. But now that she was this close to her. she was trying not to lose her temper. It wasn't like she wanted to; Kelly was right there.

It was just that she wasn't looking forward to having to deal with talking to her amicably, nor Joseph about what to do with Kelly. It was just such a dilemma. But she had to dig this hole.

Just seeing Elsa wrap her arms around the man she loved made her blood boil. She hadn't really intended Elsa to come, but she supposed Joseph would want her here so that Merida wouldn't try anything.

Not that Joseph would have let her. He loved Elsa too much for that.

Merida took Kelly's hand. "Come on dear, everyone will be here soon! Lets get you ready for the party." She led the happy girl over to the picnic tables where there was cake and presents everywhere.

Anna had the present for the little girl. Since she knew how little girls were. It was intended as a present from all of them.

The four followed Merida Rapunzel and Kelly to the picnic tables and sat down. Fergus and Elinor were nowhere to be seen. Joseph suspected it was because Elinor needed rest for the moment and would arrive when everything was fully prepared.

However the triplet brothers came running out the door, with some party favors in their hands and came to the picnic tables. They placed down the cake (which was chocolate) some drinks and anything else that seemed like it was needed.

Joseph chuckled. They hadn't changed a bit, even if they were much older.

A few moments later, maudie came out as well, with Elinor, who was looking weak, but perfectly happy, as well as several men.

They were friends of Fergus, if Joseph remembered correctly. They worked together on the police force for years. well the older men were. The younger ones were around Merida's age and a real pain in the neck from what he learned from Merida.

Fergus was probably the only reason they were here

Merida wasn't one for many friends. Rapunzel was probably her best friend, and the sons of Fergus friends were not even close with her. She was probably close to Kelly's friends mothers

But as Maudie arrived she said, "Everyone is here!"

Joseph frowned. Kelly didn't have any friends? Well she was still young, so school was out of the question. But she was literally the only child at the party. That was just sad.

Kelly needed more interaction with people her age. It would help her grow wouldn't it?

But he could worry about that later. When Kelly was tired and needed a nap after a very long party.

Merida and Kelly were at the center of the table, closet to the cake. Joseph and Elsa sat across from them.

What a perfect choice, don't you think?

Rapunzel sat on Merida's side of the table, while Anna and Kristoff sat on the other. The other party guests were at other tables.

Merida and Elsa couldn't help but send subtle glares at each other. They both knew they couldn't make a scene here, but they couldn't wait to be alone.

Joseph unfortunately, could notice this. Elsa was angry, and rightfully so. Merida had no right to steal Joseph from her. Not that Joseph wanted to go back to Merida. He just wanted to get to know his daughter!

Merida had taken that from him! He had missed his daughter's entire childhood! He wasn't there for her birth or anything else that was important in the first years of a child's life. if he hadn't met Elsa he would have happily stayed here with Merida to help raise Kelly. But now? He wouldn't leave Elsa, but neither did he want to abandon his own daughter.

Did Merida just expect him to drop everything for her? No they needed to find common ground. He would marry Elsa he was sure of it. But how he was going to accomplish that and still be there for Kelly was a complete mystery. Even worse, if Merida continued to try and flirt with him, well it wasn't exactly the ideal scenario

Oh what to do?

Joseph knew that Merida had one a fine job raising Kelly; she was more than he could have ever asked for in a child.

But she didn't know her father was siting across from her. The thought made him sad.

Just how would Kelly react? Not well that was for sure. Of course, he didn't know whether Kelly was aware of the fact anyway. Judging by her reaction when they had first met, she didn't know that he was her father.

Elsa watched the little girl. How she was Josephs daughter was a mystery to her. well she knew how she was brought into the world, but other than her features, this girl was the spitting image of her mother.

With whom they shared a mutual attraction to the same man and hatred of each other.

Elsa just couldn't believe one thing about Merida. The two had nothing in common. How? Just how did Joseph go from Merida to her? They couldn't be any more different if they tried

Love was just so confusing.

She sighed. She just wanted to get done with this party and false armistice. She and Joseph needed to talk to Merida (and Rapunzel it seemed) about why they had hidden Kelly's existence from Joseph. It was going to put strain on the both of them and the soon to be marriage.

Which if all went well, Merida and Kelly might have to attend (since Kelly would want to go; children were always like that.)

Just what was she going to do? She didn't want Merida in her life! The problem? Kelly. Her stepdaughter (or would be once she and Joseph were married) that meant Merida would have a role, however small in her life.

Yeah she wasn't exactly happy about it.

But she had to admit Kelly was a nice girl. Perhaps they would get along in the future. That is if Merida and Joseph came to some sort of agreement.

Merida watched Joseph and Elsa at the other end of the table. Neither looked very happy. At least as happy as they were trying to look.

She knew that Joseph was certainly going to have questions and that Elsa would probably be there as well.

But she wanted to talk to Joseph alone. Kelly was their daughter. Only her parents should get to say how she was raised. Elsa, as nice as she might be wasn't Kelly's family only Joseph was.

Therefore She was going to make sure she got Joseph alone before Elsa could get in the way!

But for now she was going to focus on her daughter. She raised a glass and loudly proclaimed "To Kelly! Another year has come and gone and here she is a year older. May she continue to be as happy."

The whole party raised their glasses smiling.

Kelly looked positively ecstatic. She was eating her cake like there was no tomorrow. Merida had to clean her face more than a few times (which was positively adorable in Anna's opinion)

The picnic went off without a hitch and soon it was birthday gift time. Kelly and the others sat down in a circle surrounded by a large amount of presents.

Kelly had an awestruck look on her face. that looked like a complete mountain! There were just some many presents that she had no idea what to do with them. true she was going to open all of her presents, there was just so many.

That being said, she dived right into the gifts grabbing the first one she saw. It was a small box that had the Macintosh signature on it. She ripped it open revealing a tiny charm bracelet.

She squealed, giving the elder Macintosh a hug, before returning to the other presents.

The next one she opened was much larger and more hastily wrapped than the previous one. This one was from the McGuffins. She opened it revealing a giant teddy bear.

Merida would have laughed. the bear was just so cute and cuddly, the exact opposite of how bears were in reality. She had seen a couple at the zoo and boy she was not really impressed. They were scary looking. Of course that had been when she was child. Still she didn't want her daughter to get the same idea she had at that age.

Kelly absolutely adored bears! They always looked so cute and cuddly. She had wanted a teddy bear for some time now! now that she had one she was so happy to have a new friend to play with! She held it closely before giving it to Maudie to hold.

There were only a few presents left. She grabbed another, which was from the Dingwall's. it was a movie Kelly smiled. she absolutely adored the DVD. She smiled giving the two men hugs before grabbing the one from her grandparents

As always Fergus and Elinor loved to spoil Kelly. It drove Merida insane. Kelly didn't need to grow up that spoiled or she might end up being to spoiled later on. However, being her Grandparents, they didn't care. They just loved spoiling Kelly in every possible way.

Inside the box was another stuffed animal. This time it was a dog. Kelly had always wanted a dog, but Merida didn't think that it was going to be a good idea. Guess this was just going to have to do for now.

Kelly squealed and hugged her grandparents, before grabbing the one that was clearly her mothers. She ripped it open revealing a small bow and arrow.

Merida still practiced archery everyone and a while. It didn't really help in life so much, but it was a fun activity to do. Kelly had expressed interest in doing the same. Of course Merida didn't get her a real bow, given how dangerous it was, so it was jut a toy one for now.

Kelly screamed happily "thanks mommy!" she said wrapping her arms around he mother.

Merida felt tears leak from her eyes. She loved Kelly. Her attitude was just so contagious.

"Your welcome sweetheart. I'll show you how it works tomorrow ok?"

Kelly nodded, grabbing the present from her uncles. She knew that her brothers were pranksters, and sometimes they drove her mom crazy, but she found it funny.

Inside the box was a can of worms.

Merida chuckled. Kelly was going to use that on someone later wasn't she? Well at least she knew who to blame for it once it actually did happen.

Kelly hugged her uncles, before grabbing the present that belonged to Auntie Rapunzel. She opened it revealing a small sun necklace.

Rapunzel smiled as she saw Kelly open it. Kelly was just so adorable.

Kelly ran up to Rapunzel. "Please Auntie Rapunzel, put it on me!" she asked.

Rapunzel laughed. "Turn around sweetie!" she said.

Kelly did so, allowing Rapunzel to clasp the necklace around her neck. Kelly turned around

"thank you Auntie Rapunzel!" she said before turning to the final present. It was from the new people she had met today. she opened it, revealing a tiny snow globe with a snowman inside.

Kelly smiled shaking the snow globe watching as the snow flakes swirled around. Kelly hadn't seen snow before; at least not that she could remember. She wanted to go on a snow vacation when she was older.

She went around and hugged Joseph. Joseph choked. His daughter was hugging him. for the first time in each others lives, father and daughter were embracing in the way that should always be done. He held her close smiling. He couldn't tell her the truth just yet; he had to talk to Merida first of course but this was a start.

Merida watched the scene. For so long she wanted to see Joseph and Kelly like this. they were father and daughter. Everyday should be like that. Kelly just didn't know that. but she would know very soon.

Afterwards, Kelly went up to Elsa, giving her a hug as well. Elsa was a little concerned about this one. Merida didn't want the two anywhere near each other. But Kelly had to thank everyone for the present. It was her birthday after all. Elsa hugged the child back.

After Elsa Kelly moved on the Anna giving her a hug as well.

Finally there was Kristoff. Kelly hugged him quickly, before backing off shyly. She then returned to her spot next to her mother.

Not long later she fell asleep.

Merida took Kelly in her arms before taking her inside the house and up to her daughters bedroom. She tucked the young girl in, before leaving the room and returning to her guests outside.

The police officers and their sons left shortly afterwards, leaving Joseph and his friends alone with Merida and her family.

Joseph looked at Merida. They needed to talk. He looked at Elsa "I'll be right back"

He grabbed Merida's arm and took her inside. Afterwards, Merida took him to an empty room. She shut the door behind them, before turning to Joseph.

They were alone together in an empty room. Great. But they still needed to talk about Kelly.

"listen-" Joseph began to say.

Before he could finish, Merida jumped at him, wrapping her legs pinning him against the nearby wall, around his waist and kissed him hard.

* * *

**Oh boy. Merida just won't give up will she?**

**Also there is a new story i wrote. Its called "a moment in the sunset" its boot a Frozen story, but go shead and read it if you like.**


	24. Chapter 24

**And here it is folks.**

* * *

Joseph felt Merida's lips on his, and he kissed back, feeling her move her lips move against his with a passion that they hadn't felt in years. he turned pinning her against the wall as her hand snaked to his shirt, entering it and rubbing his torso.

Oh how she wanted this, needed this for so long…

She felt heated as she continued to kiss him. she hadn't been with a man in so long. But now he was here giving her the love that she wanted craved for so long. Since she had Kelly, the baby had been her first priority; having a man around wasn't the best thing when a baby came first.

She felt his hand at her shoulder, pulling her dress down while another was at her waist.

That was odd, why would a hand be at her waist and not at…

Joseph pulled away and tugged, swinging Merida over his shoulder, causing her to yelp with surprise

"Merida, I have tolerated your kisses. I have tolerated your flirting. But do not attempt to seduce me while I'm engaged to another woman!" he walked over to a chair in the room and sat her down on it.

he was surprised (all though he shouldn't be) that she had tried to do that. sure he couldn't say he didn't enjoy it; he did sleep with Merida once before of course. But if there one thing he couldn't stand for, it was dishonesty. He hadn't cheated on any woman before and he wasn't about to start now.

besides he was on a mission. To get Merida to explain why she had hidden Kelly from him.

Merida still felt the lust coursing through her body. How… he had never resisted her advances before. she blushed well it only happened once and it was her fault so maybe she couldn't blame him. it had been a terrible day

_Merida slammed the door to the hotel that she was in. Joseph was on the bed, when she stomped into the room startling him. she made her way to the bed and sat down next to him. he could tell that she was angry. She had a deep scowl and her eyes were blazing with anger._

_He would have asked if there was anything wrong, but he already knew the answer intead he said "your mother?"_

_Merida screamed in rage "she wanted me to start taking my life seriously! Like I don't already! I know what I want to do in life! She is upset that I'm here with you! On this vacation! Its not like I didn't tell her! she cant control my life! I'll go back home when this is over with and then go on with my life!"_

_She sighed and flopped back onto the bed. Joseph lied down next to her. he crawled close to her, kissing her cheek "she just worries about you. Her little girl, all alone with a guy."_

_Merida blushed. He had a point. Well why couldn't her mother just say that. she already had the talk! And she was old enough for such things didn't mean she was ready for it. _

_She gave Joseph a smile. He always found a way to cheer her up. even when she was upset, he always found a way to make her feel better._

_Her phone buzzed again. she scowled and threw it across the room. "mother can wait!" she inched closer to him "Make me forget." She crawled on top of him, straddling him. she lifted off her shirt , revealing her mostly naked figure, before leaning down and kissing his lips _

Merida's face turned red. She hadn't been thinking straight that day and afterwards she had been so upset. She had left for most of the next day, unable to look at Joseph in the eye after that. It made the rest of the trip a little uncomfortable. Even worse when she found out she was pregnant. Thankfully Joseph had been gone and she was able to hide her symptoms quite well.

But when the day came that he asked her to marry him. she was scared. She was afraid that he would leave her. so she was the one who ran.

She returned home where she explained the situation to her parents. Of course they had been mad, who wouldn't be when your daughter shows up alone and pregnant.

Despite that, her parents helped her through the pregnancy for the next eight months. They gave her all the advice they could, refused to let her do anything or go anywhere, especially after she began to show and during the last few weeks.

But the worst part had been the birth. The pain. Nothing had been as bad as the pain she felt. It made her scream and curse. It made her whole body ache. It made her wonder why she hadn't prepared for it better.

But none of that mattered when the little bundle of joy came into her arms. She was so tiny, barely weigh more than a pound or two. She was red faced and wrinkly, crying at the top of her lungs. She was wrapped in a pink blanket. Merida felt her heart melt at that moment. Her daughter.

_Enilnor had tears in her eyes, while Fergus was crying, bawling like a little baby as thy spotte Merida carefully holding their newborn granddaughter. Merida hair was tousled and she was red faced and sweaty, but she ha a wide smile as she was staring at her baby. She looked up at her parents_

_"mom… dad… This is Kelly" she said, as the baby in her arms quieted into a peaceful sleep_

_Elinor walked to the bed, before stroking Merida's face "I'm so proud of you dear." She said_

_Merida smiled, looking back at the infant in her arms "she's beautiful" sh whispered._

_Elinor glanced at Kelly "she certainly is dear"_

Hat had been four years ago. Merida hadn't regretted a single thing about it. at least, everything expect for the fact that she had hidden Kelly from her lover, the man who was now engaged to another woman.

Se couldn't change the fact that she had done it. she just thought it would be better after breaking his heart. Clearly she had thought wrong. He was angry with her. Kelly was his daughter; their daughter! Not just hers

It brought Merida such pain to hide Kelly from her father. Kelly cried many times when Merida refused to answer any Questions about Joseph.

And now here they were trying to talk about it.

Joseph stared down at her "Merida, tell me… why did you hide her from me?" his voice was calm, but she could tell that he was angry with her. And he had every reason to be.

Merida held her hands unsure what to say. "well I was afraid!" wouldn't exactly fly with him. it would really fly well with anyone really. She had run off on him with their daughter in tow leaving him to be heartbroken for who knows how long.

But why should he care? He was with another woman now!

Elsa… she had stolen his heart in every shape or form. She was in his heart, in his bed they were getting married.

Merida felt her jealously flare up. she stood up and slapped him across the face, screaming in anger.

Joseph stumbled back clutching his angry red cheek. Damn he forgot how hard Merida hit. Well he could say that she hadn't really changed in all those years apart.

Merida had never been one to control her anger very well , but until now he had never been on the receiving end of it. now he knew how hardf she could hit while she slapped him. he did not want to see how hard she hit when she punched.

He stood up straight giving her a very cold glare.

Merida matched it, her turquoise eyes a steely blue. She was breathing heavily, gritting her teeth.

Yeah she was pissed.

"you think you deserve to be here?" She seethed

Joseph gasped "you invited me here Merida! You wanted me to meet our daughter!" he yelled.

How could Merida be so hateful? She was the one who had run off! He wanted to marry her! he would have married her, pregnant or not. He loved her. and now here she was going to blame him for her mistakes!

Merida huffed "like you care! You were gallivanting at your company, going from women to women isn't that right?!"

That was true, during her pregnancy, she had read up on Joseph and his time as a CEO. He had a different woman each week.

Joseph blushed. He knew exactly what Merida was referring to. After Merida left him he went on a binge with woman trying to fill the void left in his heart. It lasted for a few months before he found another serious relationship.

Of course none of those relationships had lasted long. The women were after his money. They didn't love him the way Merida had.

But he wasn't going to argue his conduct with her. There were more important matters to deal with. Namely what to do with Kelly.

He scowled "that doesn't matter! I'm Kelly's father you had no right to keep her from me! I should have been there Merida I will admit to that. but you kept her from me! How was I supposed to know what you were doing! You were gone! You changed your number, I thought you just wanted independence! You said that at the office!"

Merida growled, knowing her was right. she had always said she wanted her freedom when they were in college. She wanted to live her life.

But now Kelly was her life. She was her freedom.

She threw her hands up in the air "I know what I said! It doesn't change a thing!"

"what! Are you serious Merida? It changes everything! I missed her whole childhood. because you were selfish! I would have helped you raise her Merida! You know that!

he couldn't believe that Merida was being stubborn now! well he knew she would always be stubborn, but this was ridiculous! He was not to blame for the past four years! Merida had run off on him hiding Kelly! So why was she so angry with him?

"I don't care! I raised her! I gave birth to her! while you were out there with other woman!"

Joseph growled, desperately trying not to lose his temper. Merida' attitude was irritating him. why should his activities after Merida left him matter to her! yes he was gone, but that was her fault!

"Merida we had broken up! what did you expect me to do! What do you expect me to do?"

Merida stomped up to him grabbed the back of his neck and tried to pull him in or another kiss but he pushed her away. He wasn't going to kiss her again. not ever again.

"Why Merida!"

she screamed "I want you to stay with me!" she screamed.

Joseph gasped. Merida wanted him to stay with her? was she serious he couldn't stay! He wanted to be a part of Kelly's life; she needed him! But he wasn't going to stay to be Merida's husband.

"she has you! You're engaged. But I need you! I need you to stay with me and raise our daughter! Can't you do that for me?!"

Joseph stared at her. was she being serious right now? she expected him to leave the lobe of his life to stay with her and raise Kelly? He would be happy to help her. but he wasn't going to leave Elsa just like that. they needed to come to some sort of agreement here. Merida couldn't just do all that to him for her sake.

Merida still held a special place in his heart. That would never change of course, especially now that they shared a daughter. They brought her into the world together with what they had thought was their love for one another. Even if it was an accident.

He remembered the event quite well. it had been their first time both with each other as well as in bed. It was shocking to say the least, but with their hormones anything was possible.

But Merida was asking for too much. They needed to find some sense of common ground here.

He frowned "Merida I can't."

Her eyes blazed with anger. "why not? Because of your new lass?! She screamed.

Elsa.. she hated her. what did that woman have that she didn't. besides the man she loved.

Joseph gasped. Was… Merida jealous of Elsa? Was that the reason she was so angry right now? after years of hating herself for running off on him, she had the nerve to be upset with him over the fact he was dating another woman?

Elsa had nothing to do with this! he had met her after the fact. Merida was not going to blame Elsa for this. Merida couldn't be angry with him for moving on!

"Merida! Why is this so important to you? You could have done anything else, but you chose to pine over me instead of finding so one new. Someone who may have helped Kelly!"

Merida screamed again "do you honestly expect me to just go after a man after having this baby!"

"Merida! There are plenty of men who love children! Why not marry a single father or a widower? That would have solved your problems really fast wouldn't it?"

Merida had considered marriage soon after Kelly was born. She had been so overwhelmed that she was afraid. Her parents were helping her out as much as they could, but it was ultimately up to Merida to provide for Kelly

_Merida held Kelly in her arms breast feeding her. Kelly was still so small a few months old. And yet, she was so strong. She was stubborn, just like her mother._

_But she looked so much like her father._

_From what she knew, children needed both a mother and a father to be stable. They provided a positive influence to the child, allowing said baby to grow up healthily_

_Merida frowned as she thought of Joseph. He was a womanizer now. she had seen the news. He was with so many woman. he wasn't the same msn she had fallen in love with._

_Could she allow him back in her life if he was acting like that?_

_Her mother encouraged her to reach out to him, but she refused. She didn't want him not if he was acting like that. Kelly needed a much more stable man._

_There were other options she knew. But… she was scared that she could choose wrong. What if they hurt her? She didn't want anything to happen, Kelly was everything to her. she couldn't, wouldn't risk losing her!_

_She didn't need a man. She would raise Kelly on her own._

Merida sighed, trying to calm down. "'Joseph do you think I wanted just some man raising Kelly! I didn't want anything to happen to her!"

She bit her lip "I know I left you! I hurt you! But you're her father! You're the only one who gets a say in her life!"

Joseph understood where Merida was coming from. Family was everything to Merida. And she did a fine job of raising the girl.

But that wasn't the problem.

"what about Elsa Merida?" I'm going to marry her! she's going to have a place in Kelly's life!"

Kelly deserved to have both her parents in her life. She deserved to know the truth about her father.

Merida was being ridiculous. Elsa wasn't going to replace Merida as Kelly's mother. But she was going to be family.

Merida groaned. she had no right to force Elsa away. No matter how much she disliked her.

She sighed "Joseph… "I'm sorry. Your right… I am jealous of Elsa. I can't help it. you were my first love. You are the father of my child. I just want us to be happy… for her sake"

Joseph smiled. finally Merida seemed to be getting it. they couldn't be lovers. But he wanted her to be his friend. They just needed to work something out

Merida burst into tears sinking to the floor.

Joseph just watched her cry. He couldn't comfort her. not in the way she wanted him to. She curled up into a ball, moving against the wall. She felt freer. She ws happy that she could at least count on Joseph to help her out with Kelly now.

They just needed to come up with some sort of agreement with each other now

After a few moments, Merida collected her self. She wiped her eyes, looking up at Joseph with a smile.

For the first time in a long time, she felt happy.

Her mother had always told her that this was the best way to go. Turns out she was right.

She should have listened to her mother a long time ago

By the time they were finished, they came up with the solution that was best for everyone.

Smiling the two of them exited the room, returning to the others outside.

* * *

**This isn't over.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Some of you are going to kill me but this was the best thing to do.**

* * *

Elsa sat in her car with Anna, who was driving. She had tears going down her face, but she wasn't making a sound. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't. not here. Not in front of Anna

She knew what he was doing.. it was best for the little girl. but that didn't stop her from feeling angry, sad and disappointed.

Maybe she couldn't understand it; she had never known anyone in the situation that Joseph was in; he didn't know until a few weeks ago. he had more of a right to be angry than she was. So why did it feel so wrong?

She had spent the past few months with him. she had grown to love him.

But now? she felt so conflicted and she wasn't sure what she was going to do. They hadn't broken up (Elsa was not going to give up that easily), but that still was no comfort considering where he was at the moment.

He was staying with the Dunbroch family for a little while. In order to get to know his daughter. But he felt he needed to be alone with her. Kelly would need to adjust to having a father in her life. Having Elsa around wouldn't exactly be the best (since Merida and Joseph would have to explain the situation to Kelly). Elsa was inclined to agree; it was important for Kelly to bond with her birth parents. In all honesty, this would have made Elsa a fourth wheel, since Joseph would be focusing on Kelly.

Elsa was just fine with that. if not for the fact she and Merida still had a very tense relationship with one another. Though the three had managed to calm the situation down, Elsa still felt wary of the other woman. Even though she trusted Joseph not to sleep with her, she didn't trust Merida in keeping her hands off her Fiance.

Maybe she was jumping the gun on this on; Merida may not be that type of person. But considering the fact that they used to date, there was a problem. Of course people change and maybe Merida didn't have feelings for him. unlikely considering the way she had acted when they first arrived at the house.

Elsa knew that Joseph had that affect on woman at one point in his life; well apparently Merida had been the reason!

That being said his heart was in the right place. The child did come first. She needed to learn more about her father, considering that he had missed all of her life up until that point.

That still didn't stop Elsa from being angry. She had spent the last five months of her life with the man she wanted to marry and now she wasn't sure what was going to happen. Joseph wasn't leaving her; they were still together. But she was concerned if it would stay that way.

She didn't want to lose him. but things had changed. He had a daughter to think about now. children always came first in this world. Kelly needed her father. Now, more than ever. But Elsa wanted him to stay with her. staying with Merida was just the easier of the two.

Not only was staying with Merida important for getting to know Kelly, they needed to figure out custody and visitation. Merida was relatively far from where Elsa grew up, let alone where she lived. How was Kelly going to stay with her father at all? It would certainly be tough unless Merida moved.

Now maybe that was the case. Merida was a grown woman; she was probably staying with her parents because of the party. So Elsa didn't know where she lived. Either way it didn't really matter. Joseph was going to stay with Merida until the whole mess could be sorted out. Elsa was going to hate this.

She wanted to feel secure, she really did. But it felt difficult knowing that he was with the woman who once held his heart. He was strong, but the danger was always there. Merida had probably seduced Joseph the night Kelly was conceived. That's what she wanted to believe anyway. But of course she wasn't sure since she hadn't been there at the time.

No matter what had happened she still had to deal with the consequences of Josephs and Merida's actions. She wasn't enjoy it, but it had to be done.

Which was why she hated the fact she was on her way back home, alone. Joseph had promised to keep her updated and he would be back home as soon as all the affairs were taken care of.

But that just couldn't come soon enough could it?

Sometimes, she wondered if her life would ever just go right. it seemed things just kept going wrong at every turn, no matter how lucky she managed to get with some things.

Well, she was just going to have to deal with it. she didn't like it, but there was nothing else she could do.

Elsa hated this. She wanted to get ready for her wedding, which was only a few months away, but… a lot could happen in such a large amount of time. She just wanted everything to be ok again.

But how was she supposed to feel ok when her Fiancé was off with another family! She wasn't going to trust Merida, no matter what happened. Though Merida was definitely cordially when they had talked, that still wasn't enough to calm Elsa down.

There was just too much at stake here.

But there wasn't any other choice. Joseph had lost four years of his life not knowing his daughter. Elsa knew that he wanted to get to know the little girl. No doubt she wanted to do the same. So there wasn't anything wrong with that. She just wasn't happy that it was happening to her and her Fiancé.

Just why did it have to happen to her? First Anna and her cheating boyfriend, and now this?

Was the world just out to get her family? She really needed to please the world. Or perhaps she needed to get it mad. Life was just really confusing right now and she wasn't sure what to think exactly.

The conversation she had with Merida and Joseph didn't help very much either.

_Elsa was waiting with Rapunzel and Anna while Joseph and Merida were having their talk. Eugene Kristoff and the others were playing pin the tail on the donkey. Well they needed something to do after all. They were just trying to relieve themselves of the stress that the girls were still carrying._

_Elsa looked at Rapunzel who was fidgeting just as much as she was. She seemed scared too, almost like she was afraid of what would happen when her two friends came out._

_Well they all agreed on something here at least._

_They had been in there for quite some time. Elsa never felt this worried in her life. Sure talking with each other wasn't going to be very short; it was a girl they were talking about, not a small topic that would take mere minutes to deal with._

_"Rapunzel" she said, causing the other girl to jump, probably from the silence being broken._

_Rapunzel looked at Elsa. Her eyes showed that she was just as worried as Elsa was. Her face was set in sadness. "Yes." She asked. Her voice warbled. She was trying not to cry. Elsa was trying to do the same. But it was very difficult. They were all just so worried about what was going on and the tension was getting to them big time. There was never a point in their lives they felt scared (ok maybe not since they were younger, but considering this was a matter of secrets and lies) there was so much to consider here._

_Elsa gulped "how long…. How long have you known about Kelly?"_

_Elsa had seen Rapunzel's reaction to Elsa's arrival. Like she wasn't supposed to be here. Elsa was initial surprised, but considering that Rapunzel was an 'auntie' to Merida's little girl it wasn't very difficult to come to the conclusion that Rapunzel had known about Kelly for some time. Just how long was the question._

_Rapunzel felt her face drain of color. She knew that was coming. She just wished Elsa wasn't asking her that now. She wasn't prepared to answer that question. She knew that her cousin was not going to like what Rapunzel was going to say to that. But what choice did she have? Rapunzel was a very bad liar; she always told the truth. So when she was going to tell Elsa the answer to this question, well…_

_"I knew about her when Merida told me she was pregnant." She said wincing._

_Elsa felt her eyes widen. Of all the people to hide this….Rapunzel?! Her cousin. Her fiancé's best friend?! Why? She wasn't a liar, but this…. Kelly was not her secret to keep. She should have told Joseph (but they wouldn't have met each other then) first things. Friends don't do that to one another!_

_Why would Rapunzel torture herself like that, let alone the people most important in her life! She had known Joseph since childhood! Over a decade they had been together! All the times they had, the laughs they shared! Did they mean nothing to Rapunzel? Surely that meant more to Rapunzel than keeping this secret._

_"Why?" Elsa asked her cousin. "Why would you hide the fact your best friend was a… he was your friend! You've known him much longer than for much longer than you've known Merida!" Elsa screamed at her younger cousin._

_Rapunzel flinched, feeling the sting behind Elsa's words. But she was right. She should have told Joseph years ago, but Merida had begged her not to because she was scared and was later convinced she could raise Kelly on her own. Since then it had been Rapunzel's mission to make sure Kelly was as comfortable as possible. Merida wasn't always going to be there so Rapunzel stepped in to babysit whenever Merida asked. Rapunzel enjoyed it._

_That didn't stop her from feeling upset about the lying though. She never broke a promise, but she was keeping and breaking one all at the same time. She hated what she had done, but it was done. The truth was out now. _

_Tears began to leak out of Rapunzel's eyes. She felt terrible. She was both a good and a lusy friend. This all could have been avoided if she told him. But how could she? It wasn't her place to tell Joseph the truth. It was betrayal of the highest order. _

_Even worse, when Elsa and Joseph started dating, Rapunzel couldn't tell him he was finally happy after Merida left him. Could she really break them up? Well she might have anyway. Elsa was mad at her for this._

_But the truth came anyway by Merida. When she found out Elsa was dating the father of her child. She had been insanely jealous, wanting to break them up. Rapunzel could tell that from her actions. She had lightly flirted with him at the party. Merida hadn't done anything to hide it. It shocked Rapunzel that she had even attempted it. But Merida was passionate to say the least._

_ Either way there was no way to change the fact that it was a bundle of lies that led everyone to this point. It started when Merida got pregnant and it got to this point. Merida and Joseph were busy talking about Kelly while everyone was waiting out here hoping that everything could just go well for everyone. _

_Hard to relax when you were in this situation. _

_Just what were they going to do? Rapunzel felt so guilty. If she had just told the truth…_

_But nothing could be done. _

Elsa frowned staring at her ring. The ring that Joseph had given her that night. The night they got engaged. It seemed so long ago now. Like a vague memory. She had been so happy that day, like nothing could ever go wrong.

Except things did go wrong. Merida had shown up, bringing with her a wedlock child and unresolved feelings that were now causing trouble for Elsa. And now here Elsa was angry and scared. She just wanted everything to go back to normal; back when she was happy with the man she loved, when they were still going to get married. Now, she wasn't sure what to think.

She hated that she was in this situation. She just wasn't sure whom to blame; there were too many people to blame to begin with. She sighed. She wanted everything to be ok again.

But her heart was broken, ever since Joseph had told her he was staying.

_Joseph and Merida walked out of the house, heading straight for the girls. They were given them smiles, like they had managed to work out everything that needed to be done._

_Elsa returned her fiancées smile. Whatever had happened it seemed that the two had managed to come to some sort of agreement. Elsa was glad for that. This day had been very miserable for her. Ever since she had gotten to the house, Merida had flirted with Joseph at every turn. Joseph of course refused, but it still annoyed her _

_But now they should be able to leave that behind them._

_The two finally reached the others. They were silent until Rapunzel looked at Merida "well…" she asked hesitantly_

_Merida nodded, looking at Elsa "Elsa…. I am truly sorry for the way I have been treating you. It wasn't fair to you. Joseph was the father of my child and I denied that to him because I was scared. It's my own fault. You have him now… I have to accept that."_

_Elsa was surprised by Merida's response the two hadn't gotten into any sort of fight, mainly because it was a bad idea anyway, but this was still unexpected. But she was willing to accept it_

_She nodded "its… Its alright" she said uncertainly._

_"However…" Merida said, "I am asking you this… I know you are getting married, but is there any possible way Joseph can stay with me and Kelly for a while?". Her voice was soft and concerned_

_Wait what? Elsa gasped, before fully realizing what Merida was asking. Stay? What type of request was that? He was engaged. He could leave her now? She looked at Joseph, who bit his lip._

_"Elsa it's not what you think…. Kelly I missed so much of her life. I need to tell her the truth. I need to spend time with her… if I am to be a part of her life; Merida and I need to sort it out. I can't just show up whenever I want to. I need to go to court for that. so I can't constantly commute from home and here. I'm sorry Elsa but this is for the good of everyone."_

_He reached for her, but Elsa pulled away, giving him a cold stare. She couldn't believe it. She knew he meant well, but this… of all things to do he had to do this? he was going to stay with the woman who made her blood boil. Forget the apology she was angry._

_Anna however noticed this "Joseph! What are you saying?!" she screeched, jumping to her feet._

_Joseph looked at Anna "Anna. I am not breaking off my engagement!" his voice was desperate, but soft "this whole mess is my fault. And Merida's. We need to sort this out, but it's going to take time". _

_Anna shook her fists, trying not to get angry "and by staying here, you think it makes everything ok!"_

_Merida sighed, "Listen! I'm nit trying to go behind anyone backs here! Kelly needs her father, but its not going to happen very easily!" she snapped her fingers "obviously I can't marry him, but he needs to play a role in Kelly's life!"_

_Everyone knew Merida had a point but that was not enough to stop any of them from being angry. Joseph was half abandoning them right now. They knew he wasn't trying to hurt Elsa, but this wasn't something they liked._

_Anna stomped up to Joseph and slapped him across the face. She didn't hit as hard as Merida but that didn't stop it from hurting. She growled, "Listen and listen well. If anything goes wrong after today, you will never be allowed near my sister again!" she grabbed Elsa and proceeded to stomp away. Rapunzel watched them go, before looking at the other two "I'm sorry."_

Elsa hadn't liked that Anna had slapped Joseph; he didn't deserve it. But she wasn't any happier about the situation anyway. Joseph should have been coming home with her. Instead they were fragmented unsure of what the future was going to hold for them. She was certain that he was going to return to her; he loved her as much as she loved him. But.. Merida was going to unnerve her until then.

It was just a terrible situation that shouldn't be happening. She should be getting ready. She was going dress shopping for her wedding dress. she was getting the catering from her favorite restaurant, booking the venue at the place she was going to get married at. But now she was just not sure what to do. She didn't want it to be all for nothing.

He was off with his daughter getting to know her, but she was struggling not to cry. She didn't want it to end this way. She wanted to get married and have children.

She sighed, trying not to cry. Sometimes looking towards the future was a good thing. Now, she dreaded what was to come.

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**Sorry folks but this had to be done. but don't worry! there is more to come! Don't think this will end badly for Elsa! she will be sad, but remember, she didn't break up with him! **


	26. Chapter 26

**Well now. Back to the other side of this story. Elsa is not happy, so is Joseph? probably not!.**

**Also two things. A reviewer of mine Jacob Flores politely asked me to read his story, and I did. so do me a favor. Since he hads been a follower for so long, please go and read his story too. I promise, you'll like it.**

**Also, I saw Idina Menzel in concert! she was awesome!**

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Joseph and Merida sat on a bench watching as Kelly played in the backyard of Merida's parents house. It had been several days since he had opted to stay and it wasn't getting any easier. There was a hole in his heart; like a deep cavity that couldn't be filled. He thought what he was doing was for the good of everyone, but it didn't stop him from feeling terrible. He saw the look in Elsa's eyes. She was hurt. He had broken his promise. He couldn't blame anyone but himself. He could blame Merida, but that just seemed unfair. Yes Merida and Kelly were the reason he was here, but blaming Merida for him staying (at least completely), was a dumb thing to do.

He had already blamed Merida for so much; putting all the blame on her was just plain childish. Kelly was a joint effort; he was as much to blame as Merida was. Now he just wanted to make things right again.

Kelly was his daughter. She was his flesh and blood. She needed her father, especially at this age. Children always needed both parents. Merida had done a fine job raising her. even without him he was certain Kelly would grow into a fine young woman (lets not think about that just yet; she is still a toddler).

But still there were something that a father or mother couldn't do that needed to be done by the other parent. At least that's what most people thought. It wasn't like he was the best role model for that parenting style since he spent most of his life traveling. Even so, Merida had told him about the problems that Kelly was having at school with the other children. About how they bullied her and teased her about the fact she didn't have a father. He hated it, but children were children. They didn't really know any better. Still it didn't stop him from wanting to make Kelly feel better.

Speaking of Kelly, she was initially confused as to why a friend of her mothers was staying with them.

It had been a confusing conversation, to say the least.

_Joseph and Merida watched as Elsa left with the others, leaving them alone. Neither of them were feeling happy at all. Merida would have relished in the fact Joseph was staying here, but considering she was over that, she hated how things were ending now. sure, she and Elsa weren't friends, nor likely were they ever going to be, but now? she was wishing that she hadn't been so standoffish to Elsa. _

_The look on Josephs face. it was the same look that he had given her all those years ago. a look of helplessness and pain. Only now it seemed even worse. He was more in love with Elsa than he had ever been with her._

_She would have been jealous, but she just felt sad. They really hadn't consulted Elsa on what she thought. But what else was there to do? If Joseph wanted Kelly in his life, they needed to establish some common ground. They really couldn't do that over the phone; it was pretty hard as it was. Kelly didn't even know her father, nor the fact that he was standing right here. They were going to have to tell her eventually of course, but how they were going to do that was going to be difficult. Children were very emotional. Kelly would be really happy, or really upset about that. so they really weren't looking forward to that conversation._

_But it needed to be done. Joseph and Kelly had been apart far too long. It was time that Kelly finally met her father for real. She might be upset or happy (probably both) but in the end, it was something that Merida was hoping for now. it was her own fault anyway. _

_With a sigh, Merida took Joseph to the backyard, where Kelly was waiting her with uncles and Grandparents. They were very good at distracting her (Kelly absolutely loved fun, especially when her uncles were involved). Unfortunately nothing was going to distract Kelly from this one. _

_Merida felt both a light hearted feeling and a sense of dread as she took Joseph to Kelly. She had waited for this for so long, but she was now wishing that it were under better circumstances. However looking back at Joseph he was smiling. He was trying to hide the pain he was feeling for the sake of his little girl. Merida felt herself smile. Joseph and Elsa would have to patch things up, but for now, Kelly was what was important._

_Merida would help him with Elsa later. She owed him that much, considering that she was the reason all of this was happening in the first place._

_"Kelly!" she called to the little girl. Kelly looked up from her playtime, an ever so wide smile on her face. she stood up and teetered towards her mother, screeching with laughter. "mommy!" she flung herself at the red head, who caught her and wrapped her arms around the little girl. she kissed her face, pecking every inch she could reach._

_Joseph smiled. now that was love…._

_But… would Kelly understand what he and Merida were about to tell her. he really didn't know much about children. He would have asked Anna but considering she would rather him drop dead at the moment, she was not going to be very helpful. _

_He didn't really know much about the minds of children. He was hoping to learn with Elsa (who probably also hated his guts) but now he was going to have to learn with Merida. Of course Kelly was already four so there was a difference between her and an infant. So while it might seem easy at the moment, it wasn't going to mean anything until he actually raised a child to that age himself._

_Merida laughed hugging Kelly tightly to her. she gave her daughter a smile, before asking "Kelly, is it alright if I tell you something important."_

_Kelly nodded vigorously, grinning madly "of course mommy!" she said happily. It wasn't like she could argue with her mother anyway. and beside, important was… she couldn't describe it, it was too much for her four year old mind. _

_Merida nuzzled Kelly's nose. "I want you to meet someone. She turned to Joseph. Kelly smiled "your Mr. Joseph!"_

_Joseph smiled, but it was strained. There was a lump in his throat. "Kelly…."_

_Kelly's face fell. She could tell that something was wrong. No adult was this quiet unless something was wrong. So what was wrong with Mr. Joseph?_

_Joseph sighed. He really wasn't sure how to go about this. he just learned he was a father and he was nearly overwhelmed. Kelly probably was going to take it much worse, considering she was much younger and might not be able to process the information as well. "Kelly… I'm your father."_

_Kelly, as predicted looked shocked, her green eyes going wide. She started to hyperventilate in Merida's arms before promptly fainting right then and there._

_Merida gripped Kelly tightly to prevent her from falling backward. She sighed with relief. Kelly falling to the ground was the last thing she needed right now. well… at least now she knew the truth. But know they had to wait until she woke up. which could be a few hours considering that she knocked herself out cold. At least she was ok._

It had taken a few hours for Kelly to wake up and even longer for her to accept the reality that her father was here with her. she had been happy about that afterwards, hugging Joseph tightly while crying, begging him never to leave. It made Joseph sad. He had no choice, really. He was staying so he could get to know Kelly, but in the end he wasn't going to stay. Kelly was so happy that her father was here that she had yet to ask why her parents weren't married. neither Merida and Joseph wanted to answer that question. the trying something that a child really didn't need to hear. Kelly was a illegitimate child. She was born out of a night of passion and anger. Of course Merida didn't regret it and neither did Joseph. They didn't care that a night of passion, rather than marriage led to Kelly, they were just happy that Kelly was brought into the world.

She was so happy, even after learning about Joseph's identity. In fact, by Merida's observation she was happier than ever before. well at that was a plus in every shape and form.

Joseph and Merida had yet to really talk to anyone about the custody issues that they were inevitably going to have. They were trying to come up with an agreement themselves. That and trying to keep Kelly happy. Joseph had already learned so much about her. her favorite color, food. you name it, Kelly had told him.

The world had yet to know his relation to Kelly. Of course while Merida worked at her own gym (though she was hoping to become a lawyer, for Kelly's sake), since he was the face of a company, the media was going to be all over it. he hated it, plus Kelly shouldn't go through a media circus. It was going to cause a scandal, and it wasn't something that he wanted to put them through. Then again he had stayed out of the public eye; he wasn't exactly known for being crazy like other CEO's. so even if it was a media craze, hopefully it wouldn't be too terrible.

He and Merida wanted to take Kelly out, but they were still trying to work out details. Besides there was still so much to do at the Dunbroch estate. But they were going to after they finished with all the details.

After that, they were going to have to talk to Elinor (who insisted on being their lawyer for this) Elinor….. Well Elinor took things rather well after Elsa had left.

_Elinor's eyes blazed with suppressed anger as she glared at Joseph. It looked like she had been waiting years for this moment. which was no doubt true, any parent would be angry about what they had did that night. She had already yelled at Merida, but now she was going to have the chance to eviscerate the man who got her daughter pregnant._

_That being said, Elinor absolutely adored her granddaughter. She was everything that Elinor could ever hope for in a grandchild. Even without her or Fergus there to help her (which they provided while Kelly was still an infant) all of the time, Merida had matured greatly and raised Kelly efficiently. _

_The only thing that Elinor hated was the sheer irresponsibility behind Kelly's conception. Merida had said it was a night of anger because of the argument she and Elinor had earlier that day. So of course the bedroom had to be the best remedy for it._

_Well, at least Merida learned not to go crazy with anything else after that._

_But now she was trying so hard to incinerate her kind of son in law; the father of her grandchild; the ex lover of her daughter. Unfortunately, Joseph was not at all intimidated by her, even though she was going to rip him apart._

_ Joseph just stared at her waiting for her to explode._

_Merida on the other hand, stayed by Joseph's side, holding his hand. Though she already went through this several years ago, she knew how terrible her mother could be when angry (though she had stopped being intimidating.)_

_Or she would have, if Elinor hadn't said. "Merida, I understand that kelly was a joint effort, but I've already yelled at you. Leave." Her voice was deathly calm. Merida sighed and left the room. she wasn't going to like this at._

_Elinor continued to glare at Joseph "you… you took my daughter… my daughter! to bed! You got her pregnant! And I don't care what your excuse is, you should have been there for her!" _

_Joseph stared blankly at the older woman. He had ceased contact with Merida after she ran off on him. She had broken his heart, not even telling him she was pregnant. Merida might have told Elinor that (how else was she supposed to explain why she and Joseph weren't together any more) _

_ "I am only helping you because you are the father of my granddaughter. I am aware of your relationship with that young woman; you made it clear. But now, you have a daughter to care for. Regardless this mess was your fault. If you want any sort of relationship with Kelly, you will listen to me I that understood."_

_Joseph nodded "understood" he really couldn't argue with Elinor on that. She was really stubborn. Plus she really wanted to get to know Kelly, even if he couldn't always be there for her._

_Elinor gave him a twisted smile. "Good!" she said with a sickly sweet voice. She then walked away._

_Joseph sighed. Elinor was not going to forgive him so easily, but at least she didn't start a screaming match. Not that it would have helped the situation at all in any way. Elinor just wanted to protect Merida and Kelly, but she was mature enough to get her word across the room, without resorting to screaming at someone to do it._

_Either way, it didn't matter as long as Elinor wasn't fighting both of them on the matter. Kelly was the important one here._

_But they would worry about that later. Once Kelly woke up, Joseph ands Merida would talk to her._

Today, it was a family day. Joseph Merida and Kelly had spent the entire day just doing whatever. So far it was piggyback riding hide and seek and a large amount of other things that Kelly asked them to do. So far it had been fun, but now Kelly was in her own jungle gym, graciously made by her grandfather. Well she was having fun at least.

Kelly was happy after the past few days. she was happy that her father was finally here with her to do all the things that she wanted to do with him.

The only problem Joseph and Merida were having was how to tell Kelly that her parents weren't together. Well she already knew that because Joseph was marrying Elsa. But she seemed so happy about the fact her father was here with her anyway that she hadn't thought about it.

There was still so much to do outside of the business side of this adventure though. Kelly was going to go into another year at preschool (Merida put her into a small program the year before) and she wanted Joseph to take her this time. Well he couldn't argue (she had mastered the puppy dog face, only it was worse since she was a child; how could he say no to that?) plus according to Merida that might help with the teasing that she got from the other kids.

It bothered him that Kelly had these problems, but hopefully it would stop after the kids knew about him. perhaps even get Kelly a few friends.

Children could be relentless sometimes, but they didn't know any better. Still didn't make teasing ok.

Merida smiled as she watched her daughter. Kelly was happier than she had ever seen her before. It was all because Joseph had come to see her. well Merida had asked him to come, but Kelly was happy about it anyway.

The only real problem was that Joseph was in a word, miserable. Not about this, but about his relationship with Elsa. Merida of course regretted it. Well she regretted semi breaking them up any way. Elsa hadn't screamed at him or taken off the ring. She just walked away struggling not to cry. So here he was with his ex lover watching their daughter having the time of her life while trying not to show how sad he was.

He hadn't attempted to contact her at all. He must have assumed she wouldn't answer. after a few months you kind of know some things right? Merida wanted to help him with that, she really did. True she wanted him for herself, at least in the beginning, but now she was happy to just settle for some custody rights with Kelly so the three of them could spend time together as a family.

Hopefully Elsa would want to be apart of that. besides Kelly had seen other kids interact and said she always wanted a sibling; which was something that Merida couldn't provide, but Joseph could, that is if he married Elsa.

But what if Elsa didn't take him back after this? well there really wouldn't be any relationship left would there. Merida saw only two possibilities. Either Joseph would leave everything behind, or stay with Merida.

While Merida would be more than happy to rekindle the flame she once had with Joseph, she wasn't sure what option was more likely to happen. They had been apart for so long. Back then, she had been his first love, so would he cone running to her for comfort. If that happened Elsa would never want to see him again.

If Merida had broken his heart (which she did) that outcome was going to destroy it. she didn't want to be responsible yet again for breaking Joseph's heart. She had already done that and she hated it. of course he had moved on but it was still her fault.

For now she wasn't going to worry about it. They needed to be happy. Joseph and Elsa were going to deal with that when he returned to her. for now, she was happy.

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**More is to come so stay tuned. Its going to be sad. leave your thoughts, cause maybe it could help make the story a little happier.**


	27. Chapter 27

**So is everyone depressed yet? Because there is more to come, especially with this chapter. but hopefully the end will warm your heart.**

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Elsa sat on her couch, depressed, watching a sad movie, blowing her nose in a tissue. It had been a week since joseph had left to stay with Merida and boy every day without him was a very depressing thing. She missed his smile, his laughter as he would pick her up and swing her around after a good day of anything. She missed how they would watch TV, go for walks, do anything they could. She missed him by her side in bed.

She huffed throwing the tissue in the trashcan by her side. The trashcan was mostly full because she had spent a large amount of time on this couch, just trying to cope with the fact Joseph was now gone. True she hadn't broken up with him, or vice versa (not that she intended too of course) but it was difficult just being alone while he was dealing with the issue tat had been dealt to him.

She hated Merida Dunbroch with a passion. The young red head woman may have been Joseph's lover in the past, but now? She was using her daughter, Joseph's daughter as leverage to get them to stay together! True Merida had tried to mend the fences, but because Joseph was staying with her at the moment, Elsa was less than forgiving. Merida had dug her own grave. No matter the circumstances, Joseph had gotten her pregnant and she chose to withhold that information from him. The end result was them breaking up and staying out of contact for a few years.

So why couldn't it just stay that way? It had been four years, almost five, giving Kelly's age since the two had kept in contact with each other, so what had changed? There shouldn't have even been a reason for Merida to change her mind. She seemed very stubborn and set in her ways.

Unfortunately things just weren't that easy it seemed. Merida had decided to complicate her life; Joseph's life and Elsa's life in a matter of hours, because of the fact that she and Joseph had a daughter that she decided to keep hidden from him up until now. In the mean time, Joseph had met Elsa and her family and started a new life, one that did not require Merida.

She could have just lived her life happily with the little girl (whom Elsa ad to admit was quite cute, despite the problems that she was inadvertently causing), leaving Joseph to do his own thing.

But she didn't and Elsa was left on her own without the one she loved and wanted marry.

Elsa trusted that Joseph would be civil in the matter; he would not allow himself to be seduced by Merida, and only stay for a long, as he was needed. Elsa would not mind having Kelly as a stepdaughter; she just wanted Merida to back off and allow her Fiancée to marry the woman that he truly loved.

Elsa had seen the way Merida acted at the party. She had flirted with him, using her body language. Elsa knew those tricks well; she was a woman after all. The sight of another woman so blatantly trying to flirt with Joseph made her blood boil, especially since the two had used to date (hence how Kelly ended up existing). Now it was made even worse since Joseph was staying there!

She didn't trust Merida to keep her hands off of Joseph. What if…. Elsa felt her stomach lurch. She did not want to think about that. Joseph was a good man. He would never hurt her like that.

Elsa knew that at one point, Joseph was on every tabloid imaginable. It was when he had just inherited the company after the death of the original CEO. the world was watching him like a hawk, ready to pounce on him at every given moment.

The first thing people noticed. He had another model on his arm every other week.

Elsa remembered reading that in the paper and being disgusted by his actions. This was before she had even met him.

_Elsa walked into her apartment, paper in hand. It was just another day after work. Her muscles were aching, but she felt so good. She put her purse on the table and sat on the couch, deciding to read a little before getting ready for dinner. The first article that caught her eye was "CEO Dead!"_

_Elsa read the title. She had heard about that earlier today. Apparently, the CEO of the company that resided here in Arendelle had died of a massive heart attack. Perhaps the newspaper had a little more information on that._

_However the article didn't have anything to say on the matter of the CEO's passing as much as it did on his successor. 'The new CEO, an employee by the name of Joseph Summers had this to say, "we are all very sorry of his passing. He was a great man a charismatic leader and a wise mentor. He fought long and hard for the success of his company. We may never achieve the things he did. But I promise you. I will strive to make sure his legacy will not be tainted._

When she first read that, Elsa had been impressed by the guy. However not too long later, her feelings were completely different because of a tabloid. It depicted the sane man surrounded by many women, who looked drunk. He didn't, but he seemed to like the attention he was getting.

Elsa of course, had been disgusted by that, (though some time later he appeared to be in a stable relationship) but when she met him, he was nothing like he was according to the tabloids. He was mild manner, and caring, allowing Elsa to talk when she wanted and never prying into her business unless she wanted to talk to him about it.

Elsa sighed lying back on the couch, staring blankly at the ceiling. She felt trapped in a vice, like her heart was being squeezed every which way. She just wanted her Fiance to come back home. Elsa never defined herself by the man in her live; she was a strong independent woman capable of living on her own. If they had broken up officially, she would have been sad, and eventually gotten over it. it was just that she was living in the fear that he wouldn't come back, now that he had a family that was bugging her

Elsa sat back up, before standing up and going to the kitchen and grabbing a glass of water. She sipped it slowing, trying to relish in the cool feeling. But it did little to sooth her. She slammed the empty glass onto the counter, letting about a painful scream, before sinking to the floor.

She hated Merida. Merida had ruined her.

Elsa had wanted a family with him. Now he was gone, trying to fix the mess of a family he didn't know he had.

Elsa felt the tears drizzle down her face. Her chest heaved as she began sobbing "Joseph…" she whispered. His name was like a bullet in her heart.

She felt so angry, like she was ready to explode and just melt into oblivion.

Now here Elsa was crying on her kitchen floor waiting for Anna and Kristoff to get back from their errands before coming back. Yes, Anna and Kristoff were currently staying with her trying to keep her as happy as possible in her time of need. Elsa was grateful to have such a family, especially when she needed it most. Elsa hadn't been there for Anna when she needed her (when she was dating Hans, though she did help Anna pick up the pieces afterwards) true it wasn't as bad as when Anna was dating Hans (Merida at least wasn't a chauvinistic pig out to bed whatever she could.). She could admire Merida's commitment to her family. Elsa had lost her parents at a young age and it had a completely negative affect on her. She grew up cold and distant, unwilling to let go of her sister out of fear something would happen to her, like it nearly did with Hans.

The only problem? This time it came at the cost of potentially ruining Elsa's chance at a family of her own. Kelly my need her father in order to strive in a positive environment with both parents, but how long did Merida need Joseph to stay for that. Merida just didn't seem like the marrying kind (given how she hidden Kelly). Shw was stubborn unyielding independent and fierce. So unlike Elsa herself. Elsa was calm regal, uncertain and soft. She rarely ended up losing control of her emotions. Merida acted almost like a loose cannon.

How? How in the world did Joseph even end up with two women that couldn't be any more different if they wanted to be? It defied so much logic; at least that's what Elsa was feeling at the moment. But she wasn't exactly in her right mind so who was she to say anything right now?

Elsa wanted nothing more than to be happy right now, but without Joseph to mend her broken heart, she just felt so stuck.

Elsa heard the door unlock, indicating that Anna had made it home. Elsa felt her heart warm for a brief moment. Anna… she needed her right now, more than ever. Elsa picked herself up off of the floor and trudged back to the living room, just as Anna and Kristoff walked into the room, their arms full of bags of food and drink that Anna had decided they needed for the occasion. Knowing Ann the way she did, it was mostly going to be chocolate and milk. Well Elsa liked that so why should she complain to Anna about that?

Elsa's eyes widened however when she saw a cage in Anna's hands, complete with a little white fuzz ball that could only be describe as one thing. A adorable baby kitten was curled inside the cage snoozing away, looking right at home in the cage.

Elsa felt her heart swell with joy for a moment. Anna had gotten her a kitten! Elsa felt tears leak down her face again, this time tears of joy. Anna noticed. She gave Elsa a smile, putting the bags down, before tackling her older sister in a tight hug. "Oh Elsa…" she whispered, giving the older woman a back rub. Elsa sobbed into her sister's shoulder.

Anna then pulled away, giving Elsa her biggest smile "I wanted to make you feel better so I got you this little kitten. It felt like a good idea at the time.

Growing up, Elsa and Anna absolutely adored pets, going to any pet store that they could find. Sure Their parents never let them buy the pet because they were too young to fully realize the responsibility going into raising a pet,( neither did Kai and Gerda) but they were unable to resist the look of any puppy or kitten that ended up looking their way. Even today, Elsa and Anna were prone to just drop everything if one of them even approached them for food. Animals were like their one weakness, other than chocolate.

Elsa didn't even have the heart to argue with Anna. The apartment was small and both Elsa and Joseph worked a lot. But cats were somewhat independent, so maybe after a few weeks of training; the cat could survive for a few hours on its own. Or maybe Elsa would just take it to work with her and watch as it melted the heart of every employee in the building.

Yes Elsa would enjoy watching that very much. She bent down on one knee and looked at the snoozing kitten. Her eyes widened. This kitten…. It was the same one from the pet store she passed a few weeks ago. She smiled. What luck.

She looked up at Anna, her tearful face breaking into the first smile of the day; the first since Joseph had left actually. "Thank you, Anna." she said.

Anna puffed out her chest dramatically "don't thank me, thank Kristoff over there" she pointed to the large man. Elsa looked at her brother in law who was smiling sheepishly "well, I can't take all the credit; I just spotted the store, Anna was the one who found the animal to bring in. she would take no for an answer."

Anna jut shot him a grin "that's right! What Anna wants, Anna gets!" she said dramatically.

Elsa giggled for the first time in a week. She could always count on Anna to brighten up her day. It was just one of those weird abilities that she had. No matter how grey a day was, if Anna was happy, then everyone was going to end up happy.

However now Elsa was left with just one little problem. What to do with the kitten that Anna had gotten her. She was going to keep it of course. It was a gift from Anna at a time when she needed something like that. The only problem was it needed a name. That and Joseph might need to know about it. He did love animals, so he wouldn't mind, but still, he needed to know.

The kitten was still snoozing, completely unaware that it was being watched by the three people in the room. Anna looked at Elsa. "What are you going to name him." she asked Elsa. Elsa looked at her sister, "it's a boy?" she asked.

Anna nodded "I checked"

Elsa looked back at the kitten thinking hard. It needed a good name a strong name. She smiled, before saying "Olaf."

Ana's face fell, in complete shock. "Olaf!" she shrieked loudly, inadvertently waking the kitten, which meowed in protest. Elsa glared at Anna "yes Olaf. Is there a problem with that?" she asked

Anna shook her head "no of course not!" she said reassuringly "its just that I'm surprised. That was he name of the snowmen that we would build as kids."

Elsa remembered that part of her life well, back when she and Anna would play in the snow for hours, never getting tired of building forts snow man snow angels and the snow ball fights that they would have.

However when building the snowman, Elsa would always say " hi. I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs." It was the silliest thing she had ever done, but she was a kid, so what?

Besides she could use a warm hug right about now. Even if it was from a baby kitten that looked annoyed from having its nap interrupted by her little sister. Elsa looked back at the kitten, before opening the cage, and reaching inside. The kitten stiffened, not used to the strange woman, but Elsa persisted, gently grabbing onto the little kitten and pulling it out of the cage. She brought Olaf to her chest, gently rocking him in her arms "hi Olaf… I'm Elsa" she said in a silly voice.

The kitten just stared at her with wide eyes. It gave a small meow, before cuddling into Elsa chest, enjoying the comforting warmth she provided. Elsa blushed lightly, not used to having her chest touched by anyone other than Joseph. But the kitten was just too adorable, s how could she be mad at it?

Ann noticed this too, for she let out an "aww" at the sight of her sister cuddling with the little kitten. Even Kristoff, who rarely ever cracked a smile at such things let out a chuckle "its been a long time since I've seen anyone do that to a pet." He said.

Elsa stood up, carrying the kitten over to the couch, before sitting on it. The kitten curled into her arms, lying on its back, as if expecting something. Elsa's eyes widened in realization "oh…" Anna gave a grin, before grabbing one of the backs and fishing through it, before coming up with a baby bottle. "I think the little guy is hungry. She said she made her way to the kitchen, where she grabbed the milk from the fried and poured it into the bottle. Cats loved milk so she was going to make sure that this was the best meal it had. She took the bottle and went back to the couch and handed it to Elsa.

Elsa smiled, before turning the bottle over and allowed the kitten to suck on it, slowly draining the milk out of it to feed its hungry belly. Elsa felt herself smile. The kitten was just too adorable for its own good.

The kitten continued to suck on the baby bottle for a few more seconds, before pulling away. Elsa pulled the bottle back and placed it on the counter, gently rocking little Olaf in her arms. The kitten yawned, before curling on its sides, falling asleep again almost instantly.

Elsa smiled, before looking back at Anna and Kristoff. "Thank you." She said.

Anna sat down on the couch next her. "Elsa. She said with a smile "I know things are tough on you right now." She said "but I know that everything is going to be alright. Youll see."

Anna was always optimistic, and for once, Elsa could believe that. Kristoff sat down on her other side, than all at once, both Anna and Kristoff wrapped their arms around Elsa hugging her tightly. Elsa smiled as they cuddled her.

For the first time in a long time, she felt happy again.

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**Told you. but now to pose a question. i will make a poll so i can include everyone. But please answer the poll, which will be available until August the 15th. Should Joseph cheat on Elsa with Merida? Have fun.**


	28. Chapter 28

**So Everyone. I just want to say, I'm not surprised by the overwhelming reaction of "Nooooooooooooo" by everyone who reads this. I don't know why I even bothered asking. I agree that cheating is wrong but rest assured if it was to happen it wouldn't be willingly. I'm glad you all care so much and I value your input. That being said thank you Shadowfax321 and Jacob Flores for providing a little inspiration. Just don't freak out.**

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Night had fallen on the Dunbroch manor. Not a creature was stirring, not even a little cat that was meowing in its sleep. Deep inside the manor a young man and a young woman were carrying a little girl to her bedroom after a very long day of spending the day together as a family.

For one of them it was both a very happy and a depressingly sad day.

Joseph was torn. This past week with Merida and Kelly had been something he had been longing for. In the sense he wanted a day with his family. The problem? It was with Elsa by his side he had always imagined it to be. He never thought it would be Merida, especially after their horrific break up.

But here he was carrying his daughter to her bed room. the three of the had been out doing so many things. One of which included ice cream. He never knew little girls could eat so much ice cream, even for three years old

_The three of them entered the towns largest ice cream store, said to have 1000 flavors of ice cream (at least according to Merida) well f someone was vey indecisive, they were definitely going to be stuck in here for a while, or thrown out if they couldn't decide quick enough. It was cruel, but it could happen. Business is money after all. Wll he already knew what flavor her was going to get. He was just hoping Merida and Kelly could decide quickly._

_Kelly, holding on to her mothers hand and sucking her thumb, looked up at the many flavors of ice cream, her green eyes wide with joy. If Joseph didn't know any better, he would have though Kelly would go into a sugar rush just by looking at the ice cream flavors. He certainly had that type of look on his face whenever he had sweets (which rarely happened) Merida must spoil Kelly every other day, or something._

_He never did ask Merida how often Kelly was allowed to have sweets, but judging by her demeanor, it seemed like the occasional treat, reserved for when Kelly was a good girl or something like that. who was he to argue with that._

_Kelly was practically bouncing on the spot shivering with excitement. There were just so many flavors of ice cream. She didn't know what to do. Should she get chocolate Vanilla, strawberry a swirl. Her mind was buzzing with all the potential flavors that she should and could get. Her mother didn't let her get ice cream very much, so whenever she did, Kelly was always certain to try and make it count. At least until the next time they went out for ice cream_

_But this time was supposed to be special. for the first time, her father was here to enjoy ice cream with her and her mother. That meant she had to do something really special, to make this the most memorable bowl of ice cream she had ever had in her life. She stared up at her parents. "Mommy Daddy?" she asked "what ice cream are you going to get?" she asked_

_Merida and Joseph looked at Kelly, before looking at eachother. They both knew what the other was thinking. Their flavors of ice cream that they liked were polar opposites. Joseph liked the richness of chocolate. Merida liked the creaminess of vanilla. It was just one of those things. However they both smiled. "what do you want Kelly?" Merida asked "I want Strawberry!"_

_The three ordered their respective flavors and sat down at a nearby table. Kelly being the hyperactive little girl that she was started wolfing down her ice cream. Joseph chuckled "Kelly! Be careful or your going to choke!" he told the little girl. Kelly immediate looked up at her father with a wide grin, her mouth stuffed full of strawberry. She hurriedly gulped and swallowed the ice cream "sorry daddy!" she said, taking smaller and slower bites. Merida giggled patting her daughter on the head "its ok dear, just listen to your dad ok?" _

_Kelly nodded her head vigorously, eating her ice cream happily. The two parents just watched her smiling as they ate their own bowls of ice cream._

The rest of the day had been spent walking around the city, hoping to calm to insane sugar rush that Kelly received after wards. Joseph, Having never been around a sugar rushed child, initially had difficulty, but Merida kept Kelly by her side, never allowing her to run off without at least dragging Merida with her. which was difficult to do when she wasn't very strong. But neither of them minded it made them both happy to see Kelly happy. She never once complained she never even gave a frown in the whole week (except when it was time for bed. Guess that was the one thing children would never outgrow.) but today, Kelly was snoring in her fathers arms, having been tired out. She had insisted being carried by him since Merida always did it.

_"Daddy!" Kelly said with her hands outstretched to her father. She was bouncing up and down, giving him as sad look "please carry me to bed!" she said in an adorably cute voice. Merida looked at him with a wide grin "you better do it. she's not going to let you go otherwise."_

_Joseph just smiled "of course. He bent down and picked her up, hearing her squeal. A moment later she fell asleep in his arms. She must have been so tired. Merida and Joseph shared a smile, then started the long trek to the girls bedroom. _

He smiled. he could get used to something like this. she had been asleep throughout the entire walk. She must have been very tired. Which wasn't really that surprising considering her young age. Children did get tired easily.

The two entered the girl's room, which was colored a soft shade of pink. Typical. Merida pulled the covers off of Kelly's bed, then Joseph placed Kelly on one side of the bed, pulling the covers on top of the little girl. Kelly mumbled in her sleep.

Merida smiled, before pulling Joseph out of the room. The two walked back downstairs where they sat in the kitchen just looking out the window. The two did this every night, at least before Merida went to bed. They never stayed in this position two long, because Joseph always tried to call Elsa before bed, telling her how much he missed her.

Every time he called, his heart broke. Every time she answered she was crying. He knew it was his fault. He was here with Merida, trying to deal with Kelly instead of home with Elsa, holding her close. He silently cried in bed every night afterwards. He missed her so much. But until he and Merida could go to court he was just stuck here. Thankfully Elinor used her connections to have them go to court quickly, just not soon enough in Joseph's opinion. They would be going in a about a week or two. Still that meant almost a month of being away from Elsa. After five months of being with her it was hard living with out her, made even worse by the fact he was practically living with Merida, his ex girlfriend, at the moment.

Thankfully no one, not even the triplets even tried to mention the fact they used to date. Kelly as well, never asked why they hadn't married as of yet either. Which was fine in both Joseph and Merida opinion. Kelly knew that Joseph was marrying Elsa, so maybe that was why she never asked, but still…

The two just sat there in silence looking out at the stars. It was just like old times…. Happier times.

_Merida and Joseph were lying down on grass looking up at the stars, giggling like crazy. The two had spent the whole day in the grass, having a picnic, before looking up at the sky pointing out shapes in the clouds until night had fallen and they started pointing out shapes in the stars. Sometimes they even made up shapes, making up stories as they went along._

_It was one of their favorite hobbies as a couple. They would go out and just do things like this. despite their short time together, it was like they had done this for years._

_Merida laughed pointing up at one of the shapes she saw "look. That one looks like a bear!" she said laughing Joseph looked at her "I think that's Ursa major" he tol her grinning. Merida looked at him, giving him a glare "I know that!" she said with a hint of mock anger in her voice. Joseph smiled and looked back at the stars. "I think that's a Dragon!" he said pointing to another._

_Merida laughed. there were just so many constellations that it would take quite a while to even count all of them, let alone find them. if one was traveling the world that is. _

_Merida turned to look at Joseph, before inching closer to him and pecking his cheek. "I love you Joseph." She said her voice barely a whisper. Joseph smiled and kissed her smooth lips. "I love you too Merida" he said_

Joseph frowned. That had been not long after they had gotten together in the first place. It was the first time they said it too. But now? Merida had stopped trying to flirt with him thankfully, but the feeling in his heart…. She still managed to captivate him in all the ways she had before. he hated it. he still love her in some ways, but as a friend.

He wouldn't mind this, if only he was at home with Elsa, the love of his life. But instead. He was with Merida and Kelly trying to find stable ground with them. he knew he wouldn't be able to stay forever, but he would like to find a way to stay in their lives.

Elsa of course wouldn't like that because of the fact Merida and Joseph used to date, but hopefully they would find a way to get along. It wasn't likely, but he didn't want to force Elsa to visit nor exclude her. she was everything to him. he didn't want to lose her over something like this. Sure having two families wasn't an easy thing, but he wanted to have healthy relationships with both of them. hopefully they would also be able to get along with each other.

Still he wasn't happy with his situation at the moment either. Whenever he called Elsa he was afraid that he would lose her. Elsa hated stress, and he was causing her a great deal of it. he was hurting her.

It was his fault, considering her got Merida pregnant in the first place. Sure he hadn't intended this to happen; he didn't even know Elsa at the time! But the fact that it happened at all was hurting his relationship with Elsa.

Hopefully this was going to end well for everyone. Merida was happy at least, because she was getting her wish, and not being scornful about it either. She really had changed. She hadn't so much as batted her eyelashes at him in a flirtatious manner in the past week.

He sighed, causing Merida to look at him. "you ok?" she asked. They both knew the answer to that question. he was miserable. He was doing his best to try and be happy, but it was tough when he was in so much pain.

Merida wished she had told him years ago. Even if they didn't get back together, maybe they could have had a good friendship and Joseph would be happy, instead of having his heart broken right now.

But there was nothing that anyone could do about it. at least they were trying to make the best of it. that was all they could do right now. Merida didn't want to cause him any more pain.

She sighed moving to the pantry. She pulled out a bottle of wine and a couple of glasses putting them on the table and filling them up. "looks like we both need this." she mumbled

Joseph and Merida rarely ever had alcohol. Joseph hated the taste and Merida just didn't like to drink since before she was pregnant. But both of them weren't really feeling themselves so maybe just one was enough.

They never had gotten drunk in college. Well Joseph never did, he had after he broken up with Merida (it was during that binge he had with woman) but Merida had at one point while out with Rapunzel and Joseph had a wee bit too much one night. Needles to say, it was one of the most memorable nights Joseph and Rapunzel had. Merida could barely remember it.

_Merida chugged down another ale, feeling quite pleased with herself. She Joseph and Rapunzel had gone out to a bar (though Rapunzel was having juice and Joseph was having water) because they just felt like it and Merida being the stubborn brash Scottish woman she was, had gone up to the bar and order to pints of ale. She came back to the table with a wide grin. "that enough for you Merida?" Rapunzel asked. _

_Rapunzel never did like Merida's drinking habit. Merida could always get away with getting alcoholic drinks, no matter where she went. It was odd really. Still Rapunzel hated that Merida liked drinking. She always found alcohol to be rather nasty. Plus if one got drunk well… it was worse._

_Merida just chuckled "of course not lass. You know that I can drink more than that" she said sitting down _

_"Merida, you really shouldn't" Rapunzel argued "alcohol isn't really the best drink to have you know" _

_poor Rapunzel. She was always the good girl. too bad she had a rebel of a girl for a best friend. Merida was always the one who took risks who was never afraid to do whatever she wanted. This just happened to be one of those times._

_Merida waved her hand "come on Rapunzel! You have got to learn to livew a little! Alcohol isn't so bad in moderation!" she said._

_Moderation. Merida clearly had a different definition for the word moderation than Rapunzel and Joseph. Moderation was one sip for them. for Merida moderation was five pints, as she clearly demonstrated when she went back to the bar after finishing the first two and grabbed some more for her self._

_By the time she finished the third one she was buzzed. By the time she finished the fifth, she was bawling like a baby, clinging to Josephs arm and sobbing heavily, mumbling incoherent words that neither Rapunzel or Joseph could decipher. _

_Joseph chuckled "Merida, I don't know what your saying, but I think its time we get you back to your room." Merida looked up at him "only if you join me…" she said seductively, batting her eyelashes at him._

_Joseph blushed and Rapunzel blanched. Oh no. Merida was a flirty and clingy drunk? Not good. Rapunzel quickly grabbed Meridas arm, while Joseph grabbed the other "lets get you back…" Rapunzel said quickly._

Merida had asked Rapunzel about that night much later on (after Joseph had left) and needless to say she had been mortified. After that she vowed never to get drunk again. she still enjoyed some drinks, but never had more than one. Except for after she was pregnant. This was the first time she had even touched the stuff in four years. at least Kelly was asleep. But of course she wasn't planning to go overboard liker she had that night.

They took both of the glasses, clinking them together. "cheers." they both said, before taking a sip. The sweet fruity taste of the wine went down their throats, slightly soothing them both.

Joseph sighed afterwards. He couldn't believe he was doing this. he hadn't had a drink in almost 3 years. after he had come to his senses, he abandoned the drink all together and never considered drinking it, even at Anna's wedding. Merida had always liked it, but he never did, no matter what the situation was. Alcohol was a vile creation that never had any good deeds in its name. but at the moment, it was doing some good by soothing his ache. That he supposed was the only good contribution alcohol had.

He took another sip, finishing even more of the drink, while Merida did the same. After a few more sips, the two had finished both of their drinks. Merida and Joseph stared at each other. "would you like another?" Merida asked him Joseph nodded "thanks" he said. The two shared yet another drink, oblivious to the affects. Merida scooted closer t him, lost in the haze. Neither had alcohol in such a long time, that they had forgotten how quickly it could affect the consumer. After yet another drink, they were both a wee bit tipsy. Merida was once again too close to Joseph, sitting atop his lap with her arms around him her lips pressed against his. Nether were fighting it. they were both to drunk to even notice.

"Please… Merida whispered into the kiss "stay with me…"

Joseph pulled away "Merida…"

The next morning, sunlight filtered into Merida's room, two hung over people sleeping beside each other. Joseph was the first to wake up. He groaned, feeling quite terrible. He couldn't remember a thing that had happened last night. "ohh." He said

Wait a minute! This wasn't his room! This was... he looked beside him and his heart fell. Next to him was a slumbering Merida, who looked seconds away from waking up.

No… no! he couldn't…. he wouldn't!

Merida suddenly opened her eyes, squeezing them tightly a moment later. "my head.." Merida moaned as she sat up.

"What happened.?" she stopped, realizing she wasn't alone. She looked around and saw Joseph looking as scared as she felt. the two looked at each other.

Oh… not good.

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**Don't**** Freak out! Just wait until the next chapter. Trust me! I am NOT That Evil! **


	29. Chapter 29

**I am going to give everyone a fair warning. This chapter, in my opinion, borderlines on the T/M border. Read at your own ****discretion.**

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Merida and Joseph looked at each other to shocked to say anything. Never in the week that Joseph had been here they had even thought about doing… that again. Sure Merida was hoping for this, kind of but she wished she could actually remember it, as well as not put his relationship with Elsa into even more jeopardy that it already was. Well beggars cant be choosers can they. Merida's mouth dropped open.

"Joseph…" she whispered. Her voice filled with dread. Joseph looked away, pulling the covers away. He was shirtless, but thankfully he was still wearing his pants. He stood up going to the wall. He pounded on in with his fists. The night was such a blur after that third drink that he could remember anything. The last thing he even could remember was Merida climbing onto his lap. Other than that, nothing. He gave a muffled groan (he didn't want to attract attention) he couldn't believe it. Had he… cheated? The word itself made him feel dirty. He would never. He promised that he would never hurt Elsa, but here he was unable to remember if he actually did have a night of intimacy with Merida while he was intoxicated or not. He sank to the floor, weeping. Merida watched him momentarily, before pulling the covers off her self. Her eyes widened when she saw herself. She was wearing only shirt! She looked around the room. Her pants… they were gone! She blushed heavily, before carefully peaking under the shirt. She sighed in relief. Her underwear was still on.

Of course, that didn't answer the question. Did they cheat last night? Merida wished she hadn't had that drink last night. It really hadn't been a good idea. She had forgotten how easy it was to even get drunk in the first place. Her tolerance was not what it used to be.

Not that she was proud of it. Besides right now she had much bigger things to worry about. Namely seeing if they could find out what had happened last night. She slipped out of bed, walking to Joseph, who was still weeping. She got on her knees, wrapping her arms around him "I'm sorry." She whispered tears in her eyes. Joseph leaned into her embrace wrapping his arms around her and crying into her torso. He stopped caring. Besides Merida honestly didn't mind. They had done it before, so him touching her wasn't an issue.

The two just stayed that way for a while. Joseph just cried, while Merida held him close. Sure, it was not exactly ideal, but both were concerned.

Joseph's lip quivered "how am I ever going to explain this?" he moaned in despair. Merida shook her head "I can tell her I got you drunk and took advantage of you." She offered.

Joseph pulled away, giving Merida a glare "Merida, I know Elsa doesn't like you, but don't ask me to throw you under the bus." He said "we don't even know if we were in bed last night."

Merida tugged at the shirt she was wearing "I'm wearing no pants and a shirt. What are we supposed to think happened last night." She said

Joseph stood up "I don't know." He said his voice strained 'but I am not just going to sit here and wait by finding out if your pregnant again!" he snapped at her. Merida didn't even flinch. She stood up glaring at him "what do you expect me to do? Sit here and sulk?" no we are going to find this out together!"

A very loud scream resonated from down stairs, causing them to jump. They quickly ran down stairs and into the living room, where they stopped dead in their tracks horrified by the sight before them.

The entire floor, looked like a warzone. Bottles were everywhere pillows tossed on the floor, and even entire furniture was not where it was supposed to be. Was that Merida's pants on the floor? And Joseph's shirt? There was something on the wall that looked like chocolate. Ok seriously what the heck could have happened last night? Because this looked less like a drunken party and more like an atomic bomb hit the place. How this had even been accomplished was a different question entirely. But for now they had to face the wrath of Elinor, who had been looking at the mess with the most horrifying eyes that the world would never see. She turned to look at the two, giving them the look of nightmares. "What did you DO!" she screeched, stomping up to them with death in her eyes.

Merida shivered. She was just glad her mother wasn't wondering why she was wearing only her shirt.

Joseph shrugged once again, not even intimidated by Elinor "we got drunk." He said truthfully.

Merida looked at him her mouth dropping open. He just signed their death warrants. Sent them of to the incinerator. If there was one thing Elinor hated, it was alcohol. It wasn't just that you could get drunk. She wanted to eviscerate it from existence. It was that bad. Not to mention, finding out her daughter and her ex lover was responsible. A stab wound would be less painful. Merida gulped. She turned back to her mother, who was heaving. "You… You.. You… Merida! Why are you not wearing any pants!" she screeched, pointing at Merida, who was still wearing her shirt.

Wow. Elinor sure knows how to keep her priorities straight. Merida blushed "I can't tell you mom.. I can't remember what happened last night."

Elinor glanced at Joseph, who shrugged in response. "I'm with her on this one, there isn't anything we can tell you."

Elinor, rubbed her forehead. She thought she was done with childish acts, at least from her child. She would never have believed that even drunk, Merida could accomplish this in the span of a few hours without managing to wake up the entire house.. But either way, Elinor just needed to sort out this mess in a way that didn't involving killing her daughter's ex boyfriend (she never would hurt her daughter). She groaned "Maudie!" she screeched, causing the maid to appear. "Call the extended cleaning services, we need to get this cleaned up!"

Much later the entire family was sitting in the living room, staring at Joseph and Merida. The triplets were looking at a camera for god knows what reason, but they were staring at a camera in their hands, while the other adults were watching a kids movie with Kelly who was happily playing on the floor.

Merida kept glancing at her brothers, were looking at something on the camera. They looked at Merida, looking quite disgusted, then handed her the Camera. She was thankfully (or maybe unfortunately), sitting right next to them, so she was able top peak a glance at the camera. And the first thing she saw wasn't pretty. It was a picture still from a video of her and Joseph kissing rather passionately on the couch… with Merida pants less and Joseph shirtless. She blanched, snatching the Camera from her brothers and quickly said, "Excuse me. I need to use the ladies room" and ran from the room. She raced into an empty room, slamming the door shut, locking it and collapsing on the floor. The video…. It looked like it was taken from multiple hidden Cameras in the living room, no doubt set up by her brothers (they had mentioned a school project), at what point though, did it seem like a good idea to keep the footage. Judging by their reaction, they hadn't watched the video, but what they saw must have shocked them.. Pressing the start button she watched the video from the beginning.

_Merida was sitting on Josephs lap, kissing him rather passionately on the chair in the kitchen, his hand up her shirt and hers rubbing his torso. She was leaning against the table, her legs wrapped around his waist, the two moaning like there was no tomorrow. "Joseph please…" she whispered. Joseph moved his lips to her neck gently biting it. Merida gasped, feeling the pain and pleasure course through her lust filled body. Joseph stood up, carrying Merida over to the living room, placing her on the couch where the family would later sit on._

Merida blanched pausing the video. What the heck were her brothers thinking? They should have deleted this at the first second! The thumbnail alone was a red flag. However she hoped there was more to the video (not this!) because her brothers weren't going to be watching this!

Shivering she continued the video

_Merida was on the couch, lying on top of Joseph kissing him rather passionately. Oh how it had been so long since she had done this. She gently rubbed her head into josephs neck, before kissing his cheek and moving to his lips. She felt Joseph's hands slid down her curves, causing her to shiver_

_Joseph rolled over, getting on top. Merida grinned, giving her lover a predatory gaze.. she leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "Take it off." _

_Joseph grinned back. God even in his drunken stupor he looked amazing to Merida. He then undid the button of her pants. Not even waiting for him to finish, Merida turned back over, grabbing his shirt and ripping it off. She then reached up and grabbed him wrapping her arms around his back and pulling him down. her nails racked in his back and he kissed her passionately, Merida moaning into the kiss. She pulled away "Joseph… she moaned._

_"Elsa.." he whispered._

Merida gasped. What the… he was so drunk he thought that she was Elsa? Of all the things, she could ever think of., this kind of fantasy was just… odd. Well at least he was drunk enough not to realize what was going on. But Merida knew that she probably wouldn't handle that very well.

_Merida froze, stopping in her passionate session. She looked up at her lover, giving him a glare. "Excuse me!" she growled._

_Joseph just gave her a grin "Elsa"_

_Merida kicked him in the stomach, causing him to push the couch on its side. She stood up. her pants falling to the floor, leaving her only ion her shirt. She stomped back to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle and some syrup. She came back with a glare in her eye that screamed murder_

_"I'm going to kill you then make a chocolate statue of you that says, "I love Merida"_

_ she screeched. Joseph, despite being drunk, teetered to his feet and managed to run in the opposite direction Merida through the bottle at him, which shattered as it the pillar that Joseph ran behind. She heard him laugh. "Got to be quicker than that!" he teased. Merida opened the chocolate syrup and chugged some of it, before rushing at him. "Get back here" she threw the chocolate syrup, which smashed into the wall_

_she ran towards him, but Joseph just picked her up. Merida in response, wrapped her limbs around him and started kissing him again. "never leave me" she moaned._

_Joseph pushed her against the wall, eliciting another moan. Merida rubbed herself against him, causing them both to moan. Her hands were tugging in his hair; he was tracing kisses down her collar bone. "oh…" Merida groaned. She kissed him again, before moving down his neck "Joseph… stop teasing me. Please..."_

_Joseph groaned in response, before kissing her again "oh… yes…"_

_ He then started carrying her up the stairs, kissing Merida every step of the way. the two entered the hallway where Merida's room was. Merida jumped off of Joseph, but being drunk, pulled him to the ground instead. They fell on the floor. Merida rolled on top of him, collapsing on top of him. And they stilled. Joseph was on the ground with Merida on top of him asleep, while Merida just snored. it stayed like that for the next few minutes._

The video feed ended. Merida felt her mouth drop open. They had gotten a little drunk, started kissing caused a mess in the living room and passed out all in five minutes? Well the good news was they didn't manage to get any further than ripping off each others cloths. But that didn't explain how in the world they ended up in Merida's bed.

There was a knock on the door, causing Merida to open it. It was Joseph and the triplets. Joseph looked concerned, while Harris Hubert and Hamish looked sheepish.

Merida glared at her brothers "you didn't watch this did you?" she asked them.

They shook their head "no Merida, why would we want to. You were naked!" they cried. Merida blushed. Of course. She should have considered that, but still, when it was for a project, the last thing she wanted on a video is that.

"what!" Joseph said his face blanching. Merida showed him the Video. His eyes widened, but he relaxed when he saw how it ended.

"but then… how did we end up in your room." He asked. Merida shrugged "I can't remember any more than you can" she said. However as they continued to ponder the situation. the triplets, started to sneak away, but unfortunately for them, the two noticed Joseph grabbed Harris by the back of his shirt. "Harris" he growled.

The triplets gulped. This was certainly not the situation they hoped to end up in. they knew exactly what had happened. Mainly because they were responsible. "Well it was like this…." Harris began

_Harris Hubert and Hamish woke up to the sound of a bottle smashing. Hubert jumped out of his bed, while Hamish just groaned Harris sat up looking around "what was that?" he asked. The trio got out of bed and walked down the hall hearing Merida scream "I'm going to make a chocolate statue of you!" Harris chuckled. What was Merida talking about sure sounded very funny if he did say so him self. The triplets peaked over the railing and their eyes widened. The living room looked like Merida had barreled through there chasing after someone. Which she was._

_Joseph shirtless and looking about as drunk as could get, was teetering on the precipice of unconsciousness. He picked Merida up and twirled her around. He pushed her against the wall kissing her like there was no tomorrow. The triplets gagged. They did not know what was going on, but they sure as heck didn't want to find out. They started back to their room. However they suddenly heard the two lovers coming up the steps. They hid behind the nearest wall, not making a sound. Until they heard a thump and some snores. They peaked behind the wall and Hamish almost gagged. The two were lying on the floor, unconscious still half naked. What were they going to do? They couldn't just leave them there. But both of them were…. Well they weren't sure what to do. Joseph was to heavy to lift and get to his room, but they honestly didn't want to touch Merida while she was half naked. They groaned and grabbed Merida since she was on top. She moaned in distress, but thankfully she didn't wake up.. They opened the door to her room and quickly got her under the covers not wanting to see her in her underwear any more than they had. They then grabbed Joseph and shoved him on the other side of the bed. Without a moment to lose the three ran out the door and back into their room. They were going to be scarred for life after seeing that._

Merida was completely mortified, her face completely red as she heard the words that came out of her brothers mouth. She hid her face in her hands sinking to the floor groaning. Joseph was in no better a mood he had almost slept with Merida, but to make matters worse, not only was it caught on camera! The triplets had seen them. Well at least it wasn't her parents. Or worse, Kelly. But still if Elsa ever found out about that….

"Guys please! Delete that Video!" Merida screamed. The triples grabbed the camera "no need to tell us twice!" they screamed before running out of the room. Joseph and Merida stared at each other.

How on earth were they going to be able to stand each other now? They had nearly given in to the most basic of human desire. Sure they were intoxicated, but still it was borderline cheating. It was almost to…. If they hadn't passed out when they did…. Joseph shivered. He did not want to think about the consequences if Elsa was to ever find out about this. or even worse at the moment. Merida's parents. They hated that Merida had gotten pregnant so foolishly. To almost end up in bed they way they almost did last night. They would be out for blood.

"Well, its safe to say that we are never going to drink again. " Joseph sad. He really wasn't sure what to say after a night like that.

Merida was in a definite agreement. There was a reason people should drink and that was it. Both of them weren't happy that they almost did end up cheating, but they were extremely relieved that it didn't come to that. Still they would rather never talk about this ever again.

Sighing the too walked out of the room and returned to the living room hoping that it would be a better day.

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**Did everyone think Merida and Joseph would actually do that? Seriously I told you I wasn't evil!**


	30. Chapter 30

**What the… Am i reading this right? 30 chapters… I'm not being tricked here right? to think this was a oneshot. Thank you! Thank all of you for breathing life into this story! Your making me cry… Please give me a moment. In the meantime, have fun!**

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Elsa was once again on the couch, though this time she had a smile on her face. On her lap curled up like a ball was Olaf, whose little brown eyes were wide as the TV (or mystical box as Olaf's little kitten mind would think), played a movie that Elsa enjoyed watching every now and again. it was a a cheesy romantic movie involving a girl who was a ghost and a guy who moved into her apartment. It was all in good fun and it brought smiles to Elsa's face every time. She laughed as she watched the male lead almost be attacked with a cleaver by the ghost's sister.

Life could be so amusing couldn't it? That was one thing that Elsa could agree with the most. Especially with the things she's been having to deal with the past week. Anna and Kristoff had left, not long after giving Elsa Olaf as a gift. They figured (and Elsa agreed with them) that Olaf would be enough to bring Elsa smiles for a very long time. Plus both of them needed to get back to work anyway. Elsa admired the time they took off to spend with her, but she didn't want to take away from the other things in life that Anna had to deal with. After all, not going to work tends to result in getting fired from said job.

Elsa's job had been, well, going different ever since she got Olaf. She brought him with her to work the other day, and needles to say, Olaf got a lot of attention from pretty much everyone in the building. Well Olaf had a good time that was for sure.

_Elsa walked into the ice rink, a bag slung over her shoulder. It was filled with everything she needed for her new companion. Said companion was inside the bag, with his head popping out of it, a goofy looking look on his adorable little face._

_Elsa walked over to her office, ready to get dressed and begin her skating day._

_Elsa glanced at Olaf, giving him a grin "you like this place don't you?" she said in a silly voice. She slung the bag off of her shoulder, placing it on the hair. She then proceeded to grab Olaf and place him on the floor. Olaf then walked around the room, rubbing everything he could. Elsa smiled. Olaf was just trying to get used to his surroundings. Cats did that or so Elsa was told. She grinned gabbing a pillow she had for him and placed it on the floor and well as a couple of bowls and cat food as well as milk. Olaf needed to have a lot of it. Cats need to start young or they would be lactose intolerant. Of course Olaf couldn't get enough of it, he would meow and beg for it every time Elsa walked into the room._

_Not that Elsa complained about it. Kittens needed constant care. He was still pretty young after all, only a few weeks old. Elsa wasn't even trusting herself to leave him at home at all because she was worried he would get himself in to trouble. She was cat proofing the house as best she could, but she still worried about the little midget that was her new baby._

_She was glad that Beatrice loved her so much that she would even allow Olaf to come with her today (even though she had a pet crow that talked liked it was a parrot, which Elsa had to admit was strange_

_Olaf meowed, looking at Elsa. Elsa smiled getting down to her knees an extended her hand. Olaf quickly trotted over to her and sniffed her hand before licking it, then nuzzled into her hand. Elsa giggled, before rubbing her hand on Olaf's back. Said kitten then collapsed to the floor rolling on his back, trying to snag Elsa's fingers with his paws._

_Elsa smiled. Olaf was just too adorable. He was definitely going to end up stealing the hearts of every one that laid eyes on him. She couldn't help it. She was going to love this little guy for the years to come._

_She gave Olaf another belly rub, causing the kitten to meow and kicked his foot. Elsa giggled, before grabbing the kitten in her hands raising him to the sky. The kitten meowed happily._

_Elsa the brought Olaf to her chest, rocking him in her arms. "Your Olaf and you like warm hugs! She said in a silly voice._

_There was a knock on her office door, spoiling the moment. She looked up, her cheeks going pink as she saw Beatrice looking at her giving her a grin "well Elsa it looks like your having fun with the little guy huh?" she said_

_Elsa smiled "yeah… he was a gift from Anna… he want stop meowing or leaving my side. He's the perfect little pet. She said, hugging the kitten tightly. Beatrice laughed, "Sounds like he is, I could hear him from outside."_

_Elsa smiled "I need someone to watch him; I don't trust him to not get into trouble." She said. She put Olaf on the ground watching as the kitten trotted over to Beatrice sniffing her feet._

_Beatrice knelt down and gently pets Olaf. She was more of a bird person anyway, but she knew that Olaf was just trying to be friendly (maybe to friendly in Elsa's opinion. The kitten was just to trusting.)_

_Then again, that's just how animals were, too cute for their own good. Olaf definitely filled the bill on that one._

_Elsa then turned to her locker where she kept her skating outfit. "Beatrice do you mind she said Beatrice closed the door (so that Olaf wouldn't escape) while she slipped into her adjoining bathroom she stripped herself of her cloths and slipped into her body suit._

_She exited the bathroom and opened her office door, but to her shock Olaf dashed out the door before she could stop him "Olaf wait!" she cried chasing the kitten, which ended up dashing into the ice rink. Elsa managed to catch up with the little kitten picking him up before he could slip. She stood up straight, giving Olaf a little glare. "You are so bad… naughty Olaf". She nuzzled his nose. There was the sound of "awww…" Elsa looked up and saw her coworkers looking at her, stars in their eyes._

Elsa smiled as she looked down at the little kitten. Olaf was a charmer that was for sure. The little guy was as happy as could be. Elsa was happy that Olaf had been introduced into her life. She needed it.

Olaf was still curled on her lap. She continued rubbing is back, turning her attention back to the movie. It was so much fun and it was just what she needed.

She smiled watching more of the movie. Or she would have if not for her doorbell ringing. She jumped slightly, once again not expecting the sound. Just who was here for her now. She gently took Olaf off her lap, laying him down on the couch. She turned off the TV and she got up and went to the door. She looked through the peephole and her jaw dropped.

She opened the door, revealing her childhood guardians. Kai and Gerda were looking at her, looking slightly pensive. Elsa frowned. She really wasn't sure what to say to them. They hadn't spoken to each other since Anna's wedding. So why were they here now.

Elsa bot her lip "Kai… Gerda… how nice to see you." She said cordially. Despite the tenseness of her relationship with them, Elsa always tried to respect them. Even if they didn't trust her choices.

Kai and Gerda smiled, but they were wearing forced smiles. Elsa had seen them far too often. It was what they wore when they didn't trust Elsa or Anna's decisions.

"Elsa… its good to see you again" Gerda said, tears brimming in her eyes. Elsa didn't know what to say to that.

Elsa stepped aside allowing her guardians to enter the room. Closing the door, she took them to the den, where they sat down. Elsa sat down next to Olaf and turned to look at them folding her arms. Elsa may respect her guardians but she wasn't exactly happy with them at the moment. If they were here to berate her for what was happening (though she couldn't imagine why Anna would have told them.) she was not just going to stand and take it from them.

"We heard.. About your boyfriend…" Kai said. "Anna told us…"

Elsa gritted her teeth to prevent her from yelling. Anna still had a very good relationship with Kai and Gerda, who accepted Kristoff as family because Anna had gotten to know him for more than a year. Which was one of Kai and Gerda's rules when it came to marriage. Only, in Elsa's opinion, it was completely biased. Kristoff had met Kai and Gerda long before he and Anna were 'official' they hit it off at the coffee shop. By then, they had already agreed that Kristoff was a great man for Anna, as well as a great man in general. When Anna met Hans, they had gotten engaged not too long after meeting. They never had the chance to meet Hans for which Elsa was grateful, but she had told them about him. Elsa's eyes widened.

Were… were Kai and Gerda afraid that somewhere deep down. Joseph was like Hans? Were they out of their minds? In the six months that Elsa had known Joseph, he was everything that Hans wasn't. He was everything Elsa could ever ask for in a husband. It didn't matter how long she had known him. She knew that he was a nice guy. How could Kai and Gerda believe otherwise? Elsa was quite perceptive. Joseph couldn't hide anything from her even if he wanted too. If her cunning didn't end up working, there was always the puppy dog eyes. He was unable to resist that no matter how much he tried.

But she had more pressing matters to deal with.

"Elsa growled. "He's not my boyfriend any more Kai. He's my Fiance… I will marry him. Elsa said, as if daring Kai and Gerda to argue with her. She gave them a cold glare.

Kai sighed "Elsa… that's not what concerns us, not atall. Anna told us everything. That he has a child. With another woman. We're just worried sweetheart."

Elsa snorted. Of course they were. They were afraid that to Joseph, Elsa was just another bed mate, rather than a serious relationship. They had seen the tabloids that feature her boyfriend prominently. Some years after the fact anyway. the early tablos feature a young man who went to parties with woman. About two months later, he disappeared from the public eye. Not long after that he resurfaced, a changed man. No loner did he have woman around his arms. He was an upstanding man, a man worth admiring. A man worth loving.

They were in a serious relationship. They were engaged to be married right now. they were going to have to accept that. if they didn't, then she would show them the door.

Gerda frowned "Elsa! He has a child! With another woman! A child out of wedlock. How o you know he wouldn't abandon you for them! Or abandon you! At all! I know that you care for him, but he has so much…"

Elsa cut her off "Gerda I am aware of all that. Yes! He has a child. It was when he was younger with the first girl he ever fell in love with! It wasn't just a fling that he miraculously found out about! She hid their daughter from him because she was afraid that he would have abandoned her. But he was going to marry her regardless… he wouldn't abandon anyone in his family."

Kai and Gerda gaped at her "that's the point Elsa! They are his family! They are the ones he wouldn't abandon. Would you abandon Anna for him!"

Elsa snapped. "Shut Up!" she snapped at them. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was an exact continuation of there last argument. First they were upset that she was dating a man she knew only for a few weeks, without even telling them about him. At Anna's wedding even. Then they get pissed off that she was sleeping with Joseph afterwards. Now they were implying that she was foolish for even attempting to stay engaged to him after this whole mess began. They did have a point. Joseph was caught in a touch decision. Or at least that's how they saw it. But they didn't know the full story. They just saw a man who had a child out of wedlock. They believed that he would say with them because it was the right thing to do.

In some ways, in a lot of ways, staying with Merida was the right decision. Children were a responsibility that any parent needed to handle with the upmost care. She could blame Joseph for that.

But to believe that Kai and Gerda would think he would do it so callously was something that she refused to agree with. Not even for a second.

The two flinched at Elsa's tone. They had definitely struck a nerve. They knew that what they had said would hurt. It was just that they were afraid that Elsa was making the wrong decision.

They had met Adgar and Idun almost thirty years ago. Kai and Gerda were just two people who had lost a child, because Gerda had miscarried. A later hospital visit revealed to the couple that Gerda would never be able to get pregnant.

The two were devastated, until they met a young couple by the name of Adgar and Idun

_Kai and Gerda were sitting at a train station, forlornly looking at the train tracks. It had been several days since they had found out that Gerda was infertile. It was devastating. They had been married for almost 10 years; in all that time they tried to have a child of their own. It wasn't until several months ago that Gerda found out she was pregnant. Unfortunately it didn't last._

_To make matters worse, Kai had been laid off at work and they were slowly losing money to pay for the hospital bills. They were so afraid. They didn't know what they were going to do._

_"Excuse me…" a soft voice said. Gerda looked up, spotting a young man and woman, who looked to be several months pregnant. Gerda felt her heart warm up for a second. To be young, in love and expecting a child. She wished she could have that, but to see another have that fortune was a blissful moment_

_"Is this seat taken?" the woman asked, "I'm afraid I need to take a seat." She rubbed her belly. Kai smiled "no my dear, sit down. The young couple sat down next to the two._

_The young man raise da hand to Kai "I'm Adgar. This is my wife Idun." He said motioning to the pregnant woman. Kai smiled "Kai. This is my wife Gerda. Gerda, much to her embarrassment, couldn't keep her eyes off of the young womans swollen baby bump. Unfortunately, she noticed "its amazing. I know." Idun said. Gerda felt herself blush and she looked away "I'm sorry. It's just… my husband and I…. we've tried so many times… we had gotten pregnant. But I'm…" she stopped tears welling in h_er eyes.

_Idun's eyes widened "I'm sorry"_

_Gerda smiled "don't be… just live for your child."_

_At that moment a train horn blew._

_Kai took his wives hand "Gerda… its best we leave; we don't want to miss the train." They started walking away when they heard a voice._

_"Wait!" Idun said. Kau and Gerda looked at the young couple. They were looking at them expectantly._

_"Sir... you wouldn't happen to be looking for a job, would you?" Adgar asked._

_Kais eyes widened… this man was offering him a job? "Why yes young man… I was just recently laid off."_

_Adgar bit his lip. "You and your wife seem very fond of children… would you be interested in taking a job helping us out?"_

_Gerdas eyes shined. To be able to help this young couple and work with their child? It was a dream come true! "Why yes!"_

_Adgar smiled, before handing them a card "cone to this address, I will be sure to interview you and your wife."_

_Kai and Gerda smiled, before taking off to their train to head home._

The two took the jobs becoming the Winters butler and housemaid (as well as caretakers later on) they had honestly been surprised, but the winters paid a generous amount of money which helped pay for the hospital bills.

After their deaths, Kai and Gerda vowed to raise the girls as best they could. They constantly worried about them, particularly in the matters of romance. They didn't want to see the little girls they raised used like garbage. They trusted Kristoff, but Joseph was just… they were afraid because of what they heard.

But Elsa knew that their fears were unfounded. They didn't see that he was a nice guy.

"Elsa… Please… we just don't want to see you get hurt."

Elsa gritted her teeth, letting out a yell "you never gave him a chance! I know I've been dating him only a few months. But he is not what you think he is! He has never hurt me. He cares about me! now if you are not going to accept that, get out of my house!" she stood up pointing to the door. Kai and Gerda stood up, and walked out of the apartment.

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**Wow… Still crying. You know the drill! stay tuned. **


	31. Chapter 31

**Reaching into my inner disney nerd for this one! a lot of references in this chapter! we are taking a different direction. now… that being said, this is probably the last act of this story. not the last chapter, far from it, but we will be closing in on the end pretty soon. leave your thoughts and enjoy!**

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Rapunzel sat with Eugene, overlooking the garden that Rapunzel built. It was one of their favorite pastimes whenever the two were off of work. Like Merida's father, Eugene was a police officer, though given that he was younger, he obviously was a lower rank.

It was quite odd to say the least, at a younger age, Eugene was in a street gang, committing crimes and generally getting into trouble, until he was arrested and sent to juvenile delinquent facility when he was 17. After that he sent some time in rehab and after cleaning up his life, he joined the army, where he spent some time training for a few years, before he met Joseph.

To Rapunzel it was funny. Eugene was the sweetest guy she had ever known. She knew that he was a bad boy when he was younger, but clearly, whoever it was that arrested him had read him the riot act and really opened his eyes. Though Eugene never saw the police officer again, he was thankful to have been arrested. Yeah that was odd to hear. He was thankful to be arrested.

However despite turning his life around, Eugene never lost his rather smug ways, which Rapunzel supposed was the reason she was attracted to him. Deep down though he was sensitive and kind, though his cocky attitude did grate on Rapunzel and others at some points, but Rapunzel loved everything about him. He was significantly older than her, being in his early thirties, while she was in her mid twenties. Rapunzel met him while he was off duty at a coffee shop when she was 22 years old and he was 29. It was quite the meeting if Rapunzel did say so herself.

_Rapunzel walked into the coffee shop that was not too far from her apartment. She was tired. Dead tired. She had graduated from college only a few weeks ago, and was struggling at her new job. She was a star employee; it was just that at the moment, she was struggling to find a lick of inspiration. She had plenty of memories to choose from, but she wanted something different. She just wasn't sure exactly what to do. She was a happy person; she liked drawing happy things. Anything else_ _reminded her of gothel and the less happier times of her life, which was obviously something she despised. But she wasn't sure what to do because her boss said he wanted something exotic looking for s new painting to start the new room that they were building for the studio. As the senior artist, Rapunzel was charged with basically getting the look down and designing the overall aesthetic. Needless to say, despite her artistic skills, she was having trouble deciding on what exactly to do that would please her boss._

_So in order to clear her head on this fine morning before attempting to figure out what to do for her job. She loved tea, unlike the majority of her friends. Joseph loved hot chocolate and Merida liked coffee in the morning. It was one of the things that made the three a bit of an odd trio. But they were friends and they loved hanging out with each other, at least when they were together._

_She stood in line, vaguely annoyed and grumpy at the moment. She loved morning, but she hated that she was in this situation. She just wanted to have a good day. Right now she envied Joseph and Merida. They were off traveling in Europe together doing who knows what. She remembered that they wanted to have some time to spend with each other before returning to the 'real world' as Merida put it. Well, Rapunzel couldn't blame them; they had been together for a while. Plus, Joseph had already found a job thanks to some connections he had from the army, while Merida had been working at a fitness center since the year started. However they had both been granted time off for a while, so the two of them decided that it would be best to be alone for a while._

_If only she knew how wrong that idea was._

_After what seemed like years, Rapunzel managed to get to the front of the line and asked for a cup of tea. After managing to get it, Rapunzel made her way to a table and sat down, taking careful sips of her tea, since it was still very hot. She gave a slight smile. This was pretty much her morning every day of the week. There really wasn't a lot of excitement in her life, not that she was really asking for it. She had plenty of fun during her college days, mostly thanks to Merida. Besides she enjoyed the piece and quiet that she had during most days. It gave her a lot more time to think and design her paintings and murals than it would normally give her. Plus when she was alone she could sing to herself and not disturb anyone else._

_She took another sip of her tea, glancing out of the window. To her surprise, she noticed a police car with a man inside. He was some years older than her, with slick brown hair and a goatee. Judging by the outfit, he was obviously a police officer. And he looked kind of tired, since he was lumped down in his seat. Rapunzel frowned, maybe this man worked to hard. She smiled and went back into the line, getting a cup of coffee and a bagel. She went outside and strolled up to the police car, knocking on the window. The man inside jumped, looking out the window. He looked surprised to see a young woman with a cup of coffee and a bagel. Carefully he opened the window and said "yes?"_

_Rapunzel smiled "hello officer… I noticed that you looked kind of tired this morning, so I brought you some breakfast." She held up the breakfast, which he graciously took. "Thanks blondie!" he said_

_Rapunzel blushed, not really used to nicknames. Merida and Joseph took to calling her Punz in college, which just sort of stuck after that. But Blondie? That was a new one. She cleared her throat "your welcome… officer Fitzherbert" _

_"Eugene…" the man said, before handing her a card "if you ever want to talk, just give me a call." He said giving her a wink. He then got a call on his radio, forcing him to drive off._

_Rapunzel watched him go smiling. She then looked at the card. She was definitely going to see him again._

That was the first of many meetings that had occurred over the course of the next few months. There were times where they would just talk for hours (if that happened Eugene would actually be in the coffee shop, rather than in his car; he was off duty on those days) and Rapunzel came to enjoy the mans company every day that he would show up.

Of course this was how Rapunzel learned that he was in a gang in his younger days, but she didn't mind. Sure it bothered her at first, given that she grew up with more… people that didn't do that, but according to him, he turned his life around. Rapunzel definitely admired him for that. She had done the same. Not as drastic of course, but it was still a change when she had Gothel arrested when she was still a teenager.

It wasn't exactly the same, but the two still had something in common to talk about every once in a while. Strangely, she never did find out that Eugene and Joseph had met during their time in the military, at least until Anna's wedding, though after asking, she found out why. They had met during a field trip as apparently they went to different schools, and Eugene had played the prank while on said field trip which was his way of making it memorable, at least that's what he said.

Clearly however he still didn't regret it, despite the broken nose that he later received for it. Well to be quite honest, Rapunzel had laughed after seeing that, because of two things. Eugene complained that his smolder was broken and two, no one who painted him (besides Rapunzel), could get his nose right after that. It drove him insane whenever some one brought it up. To Rapunzel it was hilarious. Eugene got along famously with her friends and family. At her wedding, and later on Anna's he was the life of the party, entertaining everyone (he was a great story teller, real or not) well after the weddings were over. She was happy about that. When she was engaged, she was afraid her parents wouldn't accept him, but they honestly didn't mind his past, only his present. So long as he didn't hurt Rapunzel (which he never did) they were accepting of him. They treated him like part of the family since they had met him they were initially concerned that his job would take away from Rapunzel, but despite the horrors Eugene faced, there really wasn't anything that was bad between him and his wife.

A bad day for them would usually result in Rapunzel smacking Eugene with a frying pan, which everyone was pretty sure hurt Eugene, but either Eugene didn't feel pain or actually enjoyed it because he got hit with the frying pan every other day. He never could lift a finger to Rapunzel; it was just impossible.

Of course, Eugene never complained when Rapunzel did this; he loved her very much. Before her, his life was pretty bland, dedicated solely to himself. After getting to know her, he found a new dream in her and decided that after years and years of asking did they finally get married. of course, Rapunzel was more than ready to date Eugene after spending some weeks having a morning drink with him and learning more about him.

Now they were happily married (though not for much longer than Anna and Kristoff) and lived near a sunny beach in a house graciously given to them by Rapunzel's own parents, complete with a forest nearby where Rapunzel would go whenever she needed some inspiration. It was quite quant and really all they ever needed. True they didn't spend much time in the house, since Eugene went to work and Rapunzel went to the art studio in town, but they did enjoy it whenever they were there. Otherwise they would go to the annual lantern festival that coincidently was held on Rapunzel's birthday. It was one of their favorite dating spots, even without the lanterns and that was where Eugene proposed to her. Needless to say, Rapunzel was pretty happy.

The only problem that Rapunzel had was not being able to contact Joseph (who was traveling the world at the time) and Merida (who was dealing with her mothers condition) and get them to come to the wedding. But in all honesty, the wedding had been fairly small, with only Rapunzel's parents and family, while Eugene had a few buddies from the police force with him (Eugene had grown up an orphan, hence why he was in a gang earlier in life; he had no one else but those he grew up with in the orphanage). So despite her disappointment, maybe it had worked out. Merida could have gotten drunk and Joseph, despite having gone to Anna's wedding, really disliked long parties (though he did of course make exceptions) and Rapunzel's had been an extravaganza, even with her small family

But of course, that had been in the past, now Eugene and Rapunzel had been married for almost a year, had two pets Maximus a canine that Eugene had been paired with in Narcotics, and Pascal a cat that Rapunzel had rescued some years before. Life was great for them. The four got along well (though Eugene would swear that both of their pets preferred Rapunzel over him any day of the week.)

Despite the fact that Rapunzel had a happy life though, she was still concerned over the fact that her two best friends and cousin had created a very wide rift between them. Even worse Rapunzel knew that it was partially her fault. Elsa was right. Kelly was not her secret to keep. Merida had asked her multiple times over the years to keep Kelly a secret, no matter what. Joseph of course, was oblivious to Merida's pregnancy obviously because she never told him and Merida had wanted it to stay that way because she was angry with herself.

Rapunzel could still remember that moment when she found out Merida was pregnant, not long after she returned from her trip in Scotland.

_Rapunzel was in the same café that she always had been over the course of her art career. She had returned home looking for a job, having come hoping to work in the cities art studio, which was the largest art studio in the world. But Merida had called her saying that she was returning home early from her trip around the world. That was strange. She and Joseph had left several months ago, right after graduation. They planned to return during the new years or at least some time close to that. But instead Merida had returned here. The question was though… why? She… were she and joseph having problems? That seemed so wrong. When they had left, Joseph and Merida had been the perfect couple. They had disagreements but they never seemed irreconcilable to the point where they had to break up. so what was Merida's deal? When she called she seemed scared, which was something new to Rapunzel. Merida was always so strong, but today she seemed so afraid and worried _

_Well, Merida did say that she had to tell Rapunzel something important, so Rapunzel was probably going to end up getting some answers out of Merida. Of course, Merida being afraid was something new, so this meeting was something that seemed a little more unpredictable than Rapunzel was used too._

_Rapunzel had already been waiting on Merida for a few minutes. Merida was never one to be on time unless she had to be, so…_

_Luckily Merida walked into the café and sat down across from Rapunzel. Her usual smile was now tight lipped and pensive, as if unsure exactly what she was going to say. Rapunzel bit her lip. "Hi…" she whispered. It had been a while since they had seen each other and given the change in mood, Rapunzel was not at all sure what to say. If Merida was scared, Rapunzel was nervous._

_Merida nodded "hi Punz…" Merida said, her voice barely above a whisper. She ran a hand across her stomach. Rapunzel stared at Merida. "Merida… what's wrong. Your never like this…"_

_Merida sighed; "Rapunzel… you and Joseph never dated… so you don't know much about…" she trailed off._

_Rapunzel shook her head "no Merida… I did like him growing up, but we never dated… you were his first girlfriend… but what does this have to do with your call?" she asked_

_Merida sighed "I screwed up Punz… My mom and I got into an argument over my… Vacation with Joseph… she wanted me to return home and start taking my life seriously… We fought for ages… I ended up just hanging up on her… then I.." she blushed a heavy scarlet that matched her hair. She rubbed a hand over her stomach_

_Rapunzel of course, being as innocent as could be, did not catch on. She stared blankly at Merida who was really hoping that she didn't have to end up spelling out exactly what she had done with Joseph… Why she had called Rapunzel in the first place. Unfortunately she had forgotten that Rapunzel was the most innocent girl she had ever come to meet._

_"I slept with him!" She whispered harshly. Rapunzel felt her mouth drop open and her own cheeks flamed to the point where she looked like a lantern herself. Images of… that! Were the last thing she wanted to think about! Especially if it was with her friends in mind._

_"What!" she screamed. _

_Merida sighed "Don't make me repeat myself Punz.." She moaned._

_Rapunzel was not sure what to say. She never thought that she would even end up in a situation where she would be talking about what went on in another person's bed. She her self never did such things. In fact… this was the last thing that she was expecting to hear!_

_But of course, Rapunzel didn't realize what Merida was actually talking about. Merida. I'm not exactly the type of girl to gossip on things like that… I mean Joseph is my friend. I don't want to talk to you about…_

_"Rapunzel I'm pregnant!" Merida cried._

_Rapunzel's mouth dropped pen. Preg… preg.. Baby! "You're pregnant!" Rapunzel repeated. Joseph got Merida pregnant!"_

_"Yes!" Merida said " I ran… He doesn't know…"_

_Rapunzel was shocked. Why wouldn't she have told him? "Merida…"_

_Merida shook her head " Please Punzie… don't tell him…"_

_Rapunzel looked at her shocked. How could she not tell him?_

It had taken some convincing, but eventually, Rapunzel gave in and never told Joseph the truth. It broke her heart, but it ended up happening the way it did. So now here she was with her husband hoping that everything would go well with her friends.

Eugene looked at his wife, who was glancing absentmindedly in the yard "blondie… he said Rapunzel looked at him. Eugene was incredibly helpful… "Eugene, I'm worried about my friends."

Eugene gave her a grin "I'm sure they've got it covered Rapunzel. From what you've told me, both of them are very responsible… If not as charming as me…" He said with a cocky smile.

Rapunzel laughed and shook her head "Eugene… she said with a smile. She wanted to believe him… But she wasn't sure how they were doing right now.

She looked at the sky and smiled "Joseph…" She whispered

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**next time… stay tuned...**


	32. Chapter 32

**What is it with me and going from light hearted to angst in about a chapter? Seriously, for every happy one, there is also one that can be upsetting. This chapter is just like that...**

**oh well… Can't be helped...**

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To say that Merida and Joseph were feeling quite awkward was a gross understatement. It was practically a taboo. Neither Joseph nor Merida could look each other in the eye without blushing and clearing their throats in an attempt to ease the tension. Unfortunately the tension was so thick, you couldn't shoot an arrow in it. It would break.

That being said, Merida wished that it hadn't felt as good as it looked. Despite watching the video and being horrified by the events that had taken place, she had to admit that it made her hot and bothered (she would assume that the same happened to Joseph). Despite not having been in a relationship in the time that she had been a mother, Merida had no regrets about it. it was just that this video made her remember how joseph had made her feel during the first and only time that they had ever been in bed.

Unfortunately she hated that she almost slept with him that night. Despite her irritation over the fact that she ended things with him, she would have hated him being angry with her for effectively ruining his current relationship with Elsa over a couple of drinks of wine. It would destroy any chance at a friendship between them, as well as any hopes that Kelly would have for her father being in her life.

Merida knew when a battle was over, no matter who the loser was (despite her stubbornness on the matter.) she wanted to see both Joseph and Kelly happy now. if that meant seeing the father of her child marry another woman, then so be it. Kelly was happy just to meet her father. At least she liked Elsa (even if Elsa was still warming up to Kelly.)

And Joseph was capable as a father, it seemed. In the week and a half that he and Kelly had been together, he was slowly learning the ropes from Merida. If anything, it would be good practice for when Joseph and Elsa had any kids. Originally the thought had made Merida sick. The idea of Joseph and Elsa was upsetting because…well that's what Merida had wanted for herself. But after her heart to heart with him, she actually wouldn't mind it as much. Kelly was a handful as it was. Seeing Joseph with multiple kids would be amusing. As well, Kelly would be quite glad to have siblings (even if they were half siblings.) she would be quite glad to share her experiences on mother hood with Elsa, that is if Elsa ever forgave her. Merida couldn't blame her. It was Merida's fault that this was happening in the first place. Granted Joseph was to blame as well, but Merida was sure that Elsa was going to be much more forgiving to him than she was going to be for Merida.

Elsa was quite nice, despite Merida's original misgivings about her when they saw each other at the party. So if there was a chance that they could be friends, Merida would want to try at least for civil sake.. Elsa was certainly capable of that.

Joseph would no doubt return to Elsa following the talk with Merida's lawyers involving the custody of Kelly. Since Joseph and Merida lived quite a distance from each other, Joseph wasn't sure what to do. Merida had built a life for Kelly in Merida's original hometown, where as Joseph had a life in Arendelle with Elsa. The reasoning was that Kelly shouldn't be forced to be uprooted for such a long drive in between her parents. It wasn't exactly the best situation and it would no doubt put a strain on Kelly. So one of the two would have to move. Merida worked at a gym so it was more likely that she would have to be the one to move because Joseph obviously had to work at his company. The issue was Merida's mother. She needed to be there for her. Merida's father worked late hours and the boys were young. So Merida was generally the only one who could look after her. Sure Maudie could do it, but still there was that need for at least one of them to help Elinor because they loved her.

How long Elinor had was a mystery. Generally speaking they had given her at least six months to live. But the Dunbroch women were stubborn. She had already been fighting for almost a year and there was no sign of her slowing down, at least to the degree that the doctors were expecting her to be. Of course that could change at any moment, which was what they were worrying about.

So between those problems, it was apparent that the two needed to be closer to each other, but the responsibilities that they were having kept them from doing so, more Joseph then Merida, but it was still a mess.

In time it would most likely be better, but that didn't stop the problems from happening. Merida did not want Elinor to die for the sake of her daughter's future. Far from it in fact! The two had been at war ever since Merida hit high school age and it only mended ironically because of Kelly and her affliction. So with only a few years of having a nice relationship with her mother, Merida did not want to watch her mother suffer and die until an older age.

But only fate would decide that. Granted Merida had always believed in changing fate, so there was a chance that Elinor could do the same, since she was just as stubborn as Merida was.

Merida knew that Elinor would never give up until the very end; it was just how she was. It was just very painful watching her die. She had been doing better with the constant therapy; she had been seeing many different doctors, just to deal with her worsening condition. It was working, but not fast enough in any ones opinion.

Even so, Elinor was taking it rather well. She never complained about her condition and instead, took in it stride walking with the same grace an authority as she always did. She had never let anything stop her before, so why let this do that to her

She still had some appointments to make following the whole ordeal with Kelly, to which Merida was hoping would be the end of her suffering, in the most positive of ways.

But she could worry about that later. At the moment, she was with Kelly and Joseph. Kelly wanted to have a tea party and since the boys were at school and everyone else was at work, which left her parents to be the unfortunate victims to the 3 year old. Well considering Joseph and Merida were almost 26 years old, they were no doubt going to be annoyed out of their minds. Of course, Kelly was their daughter, so they just smiled and graciously accepted the 'tea' that Kelly was serving (it was just air so that Kelly wouldn't make a mess). While Merida could understand exactly what Kelly was thinking Joseph was still trying to understand. Tea parties. He hated parties. Of course this wasn't exactly a party of any sort, but how did little girls find this enjoyable. Didn't they like coloring?

He never did understand woman, but if woman were hard to understand, little girls were impossible. But of course he did love his daughter, so he just sat there happily drinking the air. He would have preferred something to drink of course, like water, but Merida told him to sit down and use his imagination.

Kelly of course was watching her parents and having a great time with it. She wanted to spend as much time as possible with them, considering that her father was probably not going to stay. Despite her relatively young age, Kelly was kind of smart (a wee genius as Fergus would put it). The angel that her father was with, Elsa.. Was going to be her stepmother. Kelly wasn't sure how to take that. On one hand, she liked Elsa and thought she was nice. On the other hand, weren't stepmothers… not nice? In many books that her mother gave her that's what happened. Well, in Kelly's mind Elsa would be a nice angel of a stepmother. She certainly looked like an angel.

But, weren't mommies and daddies supposed to get married? That's how it was like in the fairy tales her mother told her every other night before going to sleep. She did try and question her mother on the matter and Merida simply said "your dad and I do love each other, but we make better friends. Besides, don't you like Elsa?" it was kind of confusing, and while she did like Elsa, Kelly just thought that it would be better if her parents were married.

"So daddy… Are you enjoying your tea?" she asked him. Joseph just smiled. "of course Kelly." He said. Kelly then looked at her mother, "mommy?" she asked. Merida laughed, "it's the best tea I've ever had." She told Kelly as she took another sip.

Merida had dealt with a lot of instances like this over the past few years. Well ever since Kelly could walk and talk. She was quite the bundle of energy, which she no doubt inherited from her (Joseph was the same as a child, but not to the same degree Merida was; Merida had Maudie bouncing off the walls more often than not.)

As joseph sat there he couldn't help but watch how at ease Merida seemed to be with Kelly. She had raised her after all. But what was odd about that was that Merida seemed very happy about it. He remembered a conversation that they had during there college days where he Rapunzel and Merida discussed the idea of future children at one point. Needless to say, there were a lot of different opinions on the matter.

_Rapunzel and her friends were sitting in a park not to far from the college. Joseph and Merida were with her, holding hands and whispering cute things to one another, not that Rapunzel knew that. She had honestly been shocked when she head from Merida that she and Joseph were dating after his 21st birthday party._

_Not that Rapunzel minded it at all. She was happy for the both of them. Joseph was her friend. She did have a minor (reciprocated) crush on him, and even though they tried to go out once (it was a trip to the park in their hometown), it didn't work out because they saw each other as family more than anything else. They were just glad they didn't ever kiss, because Rapunzel was sure it would have been like kissing her cousin or something. So they never really dated each other, since they never really did anything romantic_

_Just seeing them though was enough to make her smile. Joseph was so scared of women and having his heart broken in general. But with Merida it seemed he had found his match. She was tougher and rougher than he was, but was also very kind, which was something that Joseph liked. They also had a lot in common, which helped immensely. They had similar tastes in movies and books, giving them a lot to talk about._

_If they got married… Rapunzel let out a giggle, unintentionally causing the young couple to look at her. She blushed. "I'm sorry." She said hiding her face in her hair. "Its just that you look so adorable…" she whispered, her face glowing in mortification. Merida let out a laugh "lass… its ok! I'm glad to be with this wee lamb!" she punched Joseph in the shoulder. Joseph yelped, rubbing his shoulder while giving Merida a glare. Merida of course laughed it off. _

_Rapunzel giggled once again "I would really like to see your children!" she said with a squeal, before clamping her mouth shut, slightly disturbed by what she just said. _

_Merida's mouth dropped open, while Joseph's eyes widened. If there was one thing they hadn't expected, especially coming from Rapunzel, it was the idea of children. Rapunzel was like a child herself; she never spoke of having a baby. She just wanted to get through her life one step at a time. So the idea of Joseph and Merida in bed was a little tad disturbing, at least when implied by a third party. Joseph and Merida had never even discussed the matter. They were still very young, only being 21 and 20 years old (Merida's birthday wasn't very far.) plus unless Merida was the one asking, Joseph did not want to be the one to initiate it because the last thing he wasn't was a severely upset Merida._

_Merida went red and she looked at Rapunzel "Punz, are you serious, we haven't even discussed marriage what makes you think that we were discussing children of all things?" she almost screeched_

_At this one, both Rapunzel and Joseph looked at Merida bereft of any and all words that they could have said in response to that. Marriage? They weren't even out of college yet, why would they even discuss marriage. They had only been dating for a few weeks. Sure they had none each other for a few years at this point but they had only been dating each other for a few weeks. Surely that was not even enough time to even consider buying a ring, let alone discuss it with Merida's family. He hadn't even met them yet!_

_Merida wanted him to meet them (they would no doubt be thrilled, hopefully that Merida had met a man who could treat her they way she deserved to be treated) that being said joseph was scared. He never ever had to meet anyone's parents before. Merida scared him as it was. Just how bad would her family be? If he managed to anger them, he might as well bury himself into the ground. _

_Rapunzel blushed "I'm sorry Merida I didn't mean anything by it." she whispered. She really hadn't. She was just so excited by the prospect of seeing her good friend finally get a date. She had tried so hard in the past to help him while she was dating, but it never seemed to work._

_Merida shook her head. Of course you didn't lass. Just don't expect any nieces or nephews."_

_Yeah the three had grown into quite the trio. Merida was like the older sister to Rapunzel, while Joseph was the older brother she never had. They were a family. And Rapunzel wanted to keep it that way._

If only they knew how difficult things would have become between the three of them. Joseph and Merida were parents, but instead of being married, they were partially estranged due to the lies that had been created, while Rapunzel was sad that she had helped Merida in creating those lies, rather than trying to mend their old relationship.

Joseph knew that Rapunzel meant well. his relationship with Elsa was important to her. but he was angry with her for hiding Kelly from him. He couldn't yell at her of course, but he had expressed his disappointment in her.

_Joseph watched as Elsa and Anna left, his heart breaking. The best thing that ever happened to him was now gone. Because of the two woman standing beside him. Merida… the mother of his child; the first woman he had ever fallen in love with. She hid their child from him, until the worst possible second._

_Then there was Rapunzel. His sister… his best friend since childhood. the one woman that he thought he could trust. Lied to him for the past three years about his daughter. He stomped away from the two woman making his way over to a tree, before punching it so hard that his knuckles began bleeding after the first punch._

_"Joseph!" the two girls screamed rushing to his side_

_"Don't!" he growled. He turned to Rapunzel his eyes showing betrayal and pain, tears streaming down his face. "I fell in love with Elsa, your cousin! I was happy! I thought that I could have everything. Then I find out that that I'm a father! I missed three years of her life because Merida didn't tell me. But to find out that you! Of all people. Hid her from me. Why Rapunzel?" his voice cracked and he fell to his knees sobbing._

_Elsa… could she ever forgive him?_

_Rapunzel felt tears go down her own face. He was right. She had betrayed him and Elsa because Merida had asked her to. She knew that Joseph was upset and she didn't want to make it worse. She fell to her own knees wrapping her arms around Joseph. He didn't even move "Joseph… I'm sorry…" she whispered before dissolving into her own tears._

_What a terrible friend she was. Elsa was gone because of her. She had lied to two of the people she cared about. And now, what they had might never be recovered. _

_Eugene, who was busy with the triplets, noticed his wife's condition. Concerned he ran towards them, but Merida stopped him, blocking his path before dragging him away "leave them." she whispered. She and Joseph had already reconciled. Now Rapunzel needed to do the same. _

After Rapunzel left, he felt bad for taking his anger out on her. Sure she did have part of the blame on her, but in the end, it was really him and Merida that had created this mess. He did call her later on and apologized, but he still felt bad.

Now almost two weeks later and they were still trying to clean it up. He put down the teacup, sat up from his chair and walked back to his room. He slammed the door shut and sat on his bed.

"Elsa" he whispered.

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**next time…Hopefully much happier times...**


	33. Chapter 33

**That was quick. I really wanted to get this chapter out. After so much Drama we had reached a turning point in this story. there is a little surprise at the end of this chapter that I am sure you are going to like.**

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Elsa sat at her window once again watching the city lights go by. It soothed her, made her feel more comfortable, especially since she was feeling very lonely, despite the kitten that was curled on her lap.

It had been a month. 3 long weeks after getting Olaf, Elsa was still wondering when Joseph was coming home. They still talked every night, but that was no substitute for holding each other in their arms. Eve worse, there wasn't much for them to talk about. Joseph just kept saying how much better Kelly was doing and that he and Merida were doing just fine. Elsa never asked if she tried anything, but judging by Merida attempting to flirt with him, she suspected that Merida at least would try something.

Elsa knew that Joseph was one of the most honorable men that she had ever had the pleasure of knowing. He hadn't hurt her and she would never believe otherwise for a second. The problem was that Merida was his ex (and clearly his first), so any passion that they might have had could be ever so slightly tempting. Combined with being alone with her for a month, well that was why Elsa was worried.

Elsa was never one to define herself by the men in her life (not that she had many in the first place, due to her introverted nature), but she missed him dearly. All she wanted was for him to be here with her, where he belonged.

Elsa had done little work on preparing for her wedding. She of course had done some with Anna, but not a whole lot. There was still roughly five months left as it was anyway.

And what if Joseph didn't return. She knew that she didn't believe it; she had told Kai and Gerda that Joseph would never so callously betray her like that. but still there was the possibility that he wouldn't because of his duty to his family. So if that was the case (very unlikely) all her hard work will have been for nothing.

She knew that she was being ridiculous, but she was scared. She didn't want to lose him, especially not to someone who was trying to manipulate him by using a child of all things to try and keep him with her. There were worse things (at least he didn't leave her after she was pregnant like she was a one night stand), but that didn't stop Elsa from being angry with the situation that she was currently in.

She sighed, wishing that Joseph was here with her. He would have been holding her close, kissing her neck, in all the ways that he did whenever she was lying on the chair.

Her hand rubbed her neck. Too long had it been since he was here. She missed his touch, his warm presence. There were times where he would pick her up in his arms and kiss her senseless, before taking her to the bedroom, or the couch just so they could cuddle in each others arms.

They were supposed to be looking forward to their marriage, but being apart made Elsa wonder what she was supposed to look forward to. She wanted him here, just like he had always been.

_Elsa walked in the room, Joseph (crutches and all) walked in behind her. It had been a few days after the incident with the mugger and finally Joseph was being released from the hospital, and Elsa after visiting him everyday, elected to be the one to take him home. Elsa had to admit Joseph's apartment was very nice, large enough for two or three people maybe. Well he was the CEO of a company, so there was that to consider._

_Joseph noticed the look of awe on her face "yes Elsa, I live here.' He said, a slight teasing tone in his voice. Elsa looked at him, giving him a mock glare "oh excuse me Mr. Summers. I could not help but admire the fantastic conditions of your home." She said, giving herself a false British accent. Joseph laughed, before making his way to the couch, where he clumsily sat down on the couch, letting his crutches falling to the floor._

_Elsa smiled. He looked very comfortable to be home. Of course after the attack, he must really have been happy. She made her way next to him, sitting down beside him. "How are you feeling?" she asked. She asked him that every time she saw him. The answer was always the same "I'm just glad that you're still alive." He never said, "I'm glad I'm still alive" he was always thinking of her, never of himself in the moment. Elsa felt touched by his concern for her._

_She smiled and too his hand "Joseph… your impossible…" she said giggling slightly Joseph smiled "just like your beautiful Elsa." He said, without any hesitation whatsoever. Elsa's cheeks went pink from his words. Beautiful? It wasn't the first time she had ever been called such a thing, but never had anyone done it so casually to her before (except Anna, but they were sisters who said the same thing to each other all the time.)_

_"You really think I'm beautiful?" she asked, her voice small. God she sounded like a teenager again, being told that she was gorgeous for the first time in her life. Her eyes trailed down to his lips._

_Joseph chuckled, leaning closer to Elsa "no. I know that you are beautiful." He said, before capturing her lips with his own. Elsa's eyes widened, feeling something she hadn't felt in a long time. Slightly hesitant, she moved her lips slowly in tangent with his. Her hands made their way to his torso, gently pushing him down on the couch His hands made their way to her shirt, gently lifting it off of Elsa, leaving her in nothing but a bra, Elsa hands made their way to his shirt, ripping it off. He parted from her lips, making his way down her neck, while his hands moved down her curves._

_"Oh…" Elsa moaned before his hands came to rest on her backside. She gently rubbed against him, getting hotter by the second. Joseph moved back to her lips, silencing her moans. Elsa couldn't help feel like every fiber of her being was on fire, Josephs kisses setting her off. _

_Unfortunately, she pressed against his knee, causing him to groan in pain. Elsa quickly parted from the kiss, concern in her eyes. "Are you ok?" she asked. Joseph moaned lightly, gently pushing Elsa off of him. Elsa sat back against the couch pouting slight. "Sorry" she said. She could still feel desire pumping through her, but was glad that she hadn't gotten too far. She would prefer to at least spend a little more time with someone before she went that far. She blamed it on the fact that he was charming and attractive. That and she had spent several days with him._

_Joseph sighed, "its ok… besides… I think we were rushing right there." He said, going red. Elsa felt her face flush and she grabbed her shirt hastily putting it back on. he did have a point. They had only known each other for a few days. too bad he was a bit more charming than she had initially thought (considering he was a playboy about 4 years ago. but none of that matter now that she knew the real person behind the tabloids.) he was quite funny and had a way with words._

That had been their first kiss. Elsa would have been lying if she said it hadn't been the best first kiss that she had ever received before. of course she had gone to receive many more of them over the past six months.

Elsa sighed, gently petting Olaf's soft fur. The cat was still sleeping even after he spent the drive home napping. Well he was still a kitten. So what else was his excuse?

She glanced down at her hand, which still had her wedding ring on it. She hadn't taken it off (except for when she showered), not that she wanted to. She had gotten a few looks from people and a few of them had even asked where her fiancée was. She responded by saying he was on a business trip and he had proposed to her before hand, and that they would get married. it was a logical and partially truthful statement.

The problem was that she would rather just not have to answer that question in the first place. But until Joseph returned from the Dunbroch estate, they were stuck being separated from each other.

She hated it, but it was the situation that was her life at the moment.

She looked out of the window, watching the sunset in the distance. She loved these moments; the quiet moments. They soothed her, especially in this time of need.

But this time, it just wasn't working. If anything it was making her even more agitated. She wanted Joseph back here. There were times that she missed with him and she wanted to have him back… because she loved him. they had been speaking those words over the phone, but it meant almost nothing compared to seeing the expression on his face when he said it himself.

Her heart clenched. What if she was saying to him? What if… had Joseph… slept with her? no, she refused to believe that. He had many opportunities while they were dating (mostly during socialite parties that he attended), but he as politely as possible said no to them. Elsa had watched him the many times there had been women shamelessly throwing them at him. Even she knew the reason. It was partly because he was charming, but also because he was a playboy during his younger years.

_Elsa and Joseph sat at a table at one of the many company's parties that Aaron wolf (Josephs president friend) had to throw for benefits. It touched Elsa's heart that Joseph gladly had these benefits (mostly for children or impoverished areas) he was very kind and selfless. Granted Elsa did the same thing at her job, but it was mostly for the community. Joseph's Company had been international since his predecessor had been in charge of the company (so he couldn't take all of the credit.)_

_Elsa took a sip of her drink, which was just chocolate milk. Like Joseph, she hated alcohol, and preferred sweeter drinks (hence the chocolate milk.) most people would think that she odd because she wouldn't drink something a little more appropriate, but she didn't mind so why should they?_

_Besides the night was almost over as it was, as Elsa would rather just not be too intoxicated on the way home. She would like to sleep after her head hit the pillow, not while driving on the way home. _

_ "so… had fun this evening Elsa?" Joseph asked Elsa gave him a grin "oh Joseph.. you know these aren't my types of things. We have different ideas of fun." _

_Yeah Elsa hated parties. So did Joseph, but he was forced to in the interest of his job. They normally did leave early though, just to escape the pressures of the party. Which was right about now._

_They abruptly stood up and rushed to the entrance of the building that they were in., however before they could even get close, a hand reached out from the crowd and snagged Josephs arm. He stopped dead in his tracks, turning to see a familiar dyed blond, rather large busted woman whose name he had rather forgotten. Though he did vaguely remember having repeated kisses with her at some point during a drunken haze._

_"Joseph… darling!" she purred her hands snaking up his shirt before resting on his chest "remember me?" she said, batting her eyelashes at him seductively. _

_Elsa tensed. These were the moments she hated the most when it came to these annoying parties. Josephs playboy days were over, but they would repeatedly come back to bite him. Sometimes quite literally as one drunken woman nearly bit his shoulder in an attempt to 'get a taste of the playboy' that time Joseph had been a little rough, 'accidently' breaking the woman shoulder when he pushed her away._

_Watching this woman made Elsa want to do the same. No woman no matter how much they had mattered to Joseph in the past (which considering that he was drunk during the time, probably meant that he didn't care whatsoever.) had the right to touch him. She growled lowly, but the woman ignored her. Elsa couldn't start a fight here, lest they be thrown out_

_Joseph grabbed the woman's hand and pushed it away "considering I was drunk when I first met you no. Now if you don't mind I'm taking my girl home. He pulled Elsa away from the scene and they went home._

Elsa had to admit, Joseph could be rather cold to woman at times, but what else was he supposed to do when they threw themselves at him while he was dating her. he hated it just as much as she did.

Which was rather odd, because according to Rapunzel, Joseph never once dated a woman prior to the incident with Merida. So apparently Merida was the reason he got a little more confident (or perhaps a little more reckless). While Elsa didn't exactly like Merida at the moment she supposed she could be thankful for that. Had Joseph never dated Merida, would Elsa have ever met Joseph? Or would she have ignored him and gone on their own separate ways in life?

She sighed. These were the mysteries of life that she would never understand. It wasn't like it mattered either. She leaned back against the wall, groaning in annoyance.

"Joseph…" she groaned.

Olaf, who was still in her lap, looked up at Elsa, before walking up her chest and reaching her cheek, giving it a gentle lick. Elsa giggled grabbing Olaf, before nuzzling his nose. "Thank you Olaf." She said, before putting him down on the floor. Olaf stretched lightly, before scampering off to the bedroom, his favorite place to nap. Elsa sighed she wished that she could be as carefree as the cat that Anna gotten her. but life was never that simple.

She sighed remembering the morning after her first time with Joseph

_Elsa woke up in her hotel room, wrapped in the arms of her, now lover (it was still a little too early to say boyfriend, even though they did have sex like any couple would have. She was stark naked and feeling slightly tender. She moved her legs slightly, only to find herself a little sore down there. She groaned. Why did it have to hurt? _

_Well at least it felt good. _

_She felt Joseph shift slightly beside her and his eyes fluttered open. He looked down at her, before kissing the top of her head. "Morning snowflake." He mumbled. Elsa giggled. Morning to you to love." She whispered, reaching up and kissing his lips. Joseph returned the kiss wrapping his arms around her tightly. Elsa climbed on top of him placing her hands on his face deepening the kiss._

_She was rather enjoying the moment. Here she was naked with a man in bed, after having a passionate session with him. Yeah she was enjoying this._

_She broke the kiss, giving Joseph a grin "did you enjoy last night?" she asked. Joseph gave Elsa a grin "shouldn't I be asking you that? Then again, you were screaming rather loudly last night."_

_Elsa blushed heavily, remembering last night. She had screamed rather loudly, but she had been enjoying herself. She smacked his chest "really, what about you?" she shot back._

_Joseph laughed. Ok." He said, before kissing her again Elsa moaned. Oh thank god for delivering her a man like this. She pressed against him, moaning passionately. She could stay here a little while longer. Her flight home wasn't until the afternoon anyway._

Elsa laughed, that had been one crazy night and the morning hadn't been much different. Not long after that they had officially gotten together (much to Anna's delight) and Elsa had enjoyed every moment of it. as a matter of fact, she missed her flight back, mainly because she took her bags and flew back to Arendelle with Joseph instead. She had never expected such a thing to happen, but it was welcome.

The flight back hadn't been as steamy as the night of the wedding; (they mostly just talked about there status as a couple among other things on the way back. Over some drinks and chocolate) Elsa was quite willing to date him ever since the night of the mugger. Joseph it seemed had been willing to date her since the moment they met.

Honestly when Elsa had first met him, she did remember that he was a fairly popular playboy in the past, and was not in the mood to even try and get to know him, believing that he would just use her, just like Hans had done to Anna. She was standoffish to him that night, but every time he spoke he was sincere and he was friends with Rapunzel as well, so there was that. It was the night of the mugger that had turned her around. Hans might have left Anna to die just to save his own skin.

She wrapped her arms around her silently crying, no longer caring. None of it mattered any more. Joseph was gone. He was with Merida, his ex girlfriend and his daughter Kelly. Je made no mention of the court date that he was supposed to go to for the custody hearing, so it obviously hadn't happened yet.

A moment later her doorbell rang, startling Elsa from her saddened stupor. Getting off of the seat, she made her way to the door and looked into the peephole. A moment later the door swung open and in walked Joseph, who closed the door behind him. Elsa jumped onto him and was swept into the arms of the man she loved, kissing him passionately, before he carried her into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

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**Like the surprise? The next chapter will reveal what happened and why Joseph has returned to Elsa. **


	34. Chapter 34

**This was a very difficult chapter. oh my god! Also there is something i want to bring up regarding my rapid uploading. No these chapters are not prewritten. i just sit down and take a day or two to write these chapters. Regarding to this story though. I must say, I had absolutely no plan for this story. It was supposed to be a one shot. so when it was requested to be full story… I had no idea what to do. Literally everything you've read up to this point has been written completely unplanned. Not counting the times you guys have inspired me to do some things that I hadn't initially planned to write.**

**now then, read on! Enjoy!**

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Joseph carried Elsa into the bedroom, kissing her with a fiery need; it enough to burn the building down. Elsa for one was very happy to be in this situation, she was burning with desire Joseph drew his tongue across her mouth. She jumped, surprised by the feeling, but obliged to open her mouth. She opened her mouth gasping and moaning with pleasure before practically biting on his tongue; she was desperate to explore his mouth after so much time apart.

Elsa released his waist, planting her feet on the floor. She proceeded to rip off her jacket, throwing it to the floor. Joseph found her shirt and gently ripped if off, before picking her up again.

Elsa didn't mind. She was having too much fun to care.

Her hands found his shirt, and she took no time in ripping it off, exposing his bare chest, he in turn laid her on the bed, kissing her lips, before moving down to her neck. Elsa pouted, missing the feeling of his lips, but found her self moaning as he began to bite and suck on her neck.

"Ah…" she moaned, lust coursing through her body.

Joseph looked up at her, giving her a smile "I've missed you too Elsa." he said.

Elsa gave him a glare "Joseph.. Do not tease me!" she said her voice filled with annoyance. Joseph was about to retort when they suddenly felt the bed shift following by a small "meow." Both of them jumped. They both looked at the source revealed to be Olaf, who had been sleeping under the bed until he heard them moaning and came to investigate. He was surprised to see a new man here with Elsa.

Elsa's face lit up like a light "oh.. Sorry Olaf." She said. Joseph looked between her and the cat "oh… I see that you've got company." he said a light smile on his face. Elsa giggled picking up Olaf, before dumping him on Josephs lap "Olaf this is Joseph. Joseph, Olaf likes warm hugs." Joseph stared at he cat, before picking him up in his arms. Olaf stared at him before licking his nose. Joseph smiled before nuzzling Olaf's nose. "oh nice to meet you too Olaf." He stood up, before opening the bedroom door "but I've got to help Elsa out. He deposited Olaf on the floor and closing the door outside before returning to Elsa, crawling beside her.

"I'll take care of you Elsa." he said, before moving to her lips and kissing her passionately.

Much later the two were under the covers having passionately made love to one another after a month apart. Elsa lay on top of him, breathing heavily "oh.. My…" she had no words for the past few sessions that they just had

She settled for kissing Joseph once again "I've missed you so much. She whispered

Joseph gave her a smile "I've missed you too." he said.

Elsa looked at him. While she was immensely happy that he was back, there was one question to be had. What had happened between him and Merida? In fact what had happened in general. He hadn't said anything about them at any point in the last few calls they had made. Did something happen to them. While she hated Merida from a romantic rival standpoint she had no reason to hate her personally. And Kelly of course was just a little girl. How could she hate a little girl?

"What happened to Merida?" she asked him

None to her surprise Joseph gave her a look of shock. They just had sex and the first thing that comes out of her mouth was a question about the woman who had put them in this situation in the first place? Well he had no reason ignore that question; he did owe her an explanation after all. "Well…"

_Joseph and Merida stood with Kelly dressed nicely for court that day Kelly was in Merida's arms, looking quite scared. She really didn't understand the reason they were here; she was still too young to fully understand the situation before her._

_Her parents on the other hand were slightly more nervous. They had explained the situation to the judge, who was surprised by the case that was being laid out before him. Never before had the judged been presented with a child custody case where both parents wanted some form of custody without there being some degree of animosity between them. They weren't even married._

_Joseph and Merida had decided that Merida should retain full custody of Kelly; she had raised her all on her own (though with the assistance of her family) where as Joseph was pretty engrossed by his company and had no family support system, plus he was certain that his playboy past as well as his relationship with Elsa would definitely be brought into the equation regarding his custody of Kelly. He doubted that the judge would go easy on him, despite the changes that he had gone through._

_Regardless they were ready for their moment in court. They walked into the courtroom, where Elinor was waiting for them, despite her health condition. She was going there to be supportive of her child and grandchild. _

_They took their seats, waiting for the judge to make an appearance. Thankfully they didn't have to wait very long, because the judge was an elder man by the name of Ralph. He was quite the tough guy on the outside, but was quite the softie, or at least that's what Elinor had told them. He would be looking over their case and would give his decision on the matter by the end of it._

_They were hoping that he would be more lenient towards the problems that they were having. After the fiasco that Merida had caused in the first place. Both of them just wanted this to be done and over with. Merida knew that while Joseph loved Kelly dearly, he wanted to return to Elsa and get on with his life, while making sure that he would always find time for Kelly. She really couldn't blame him. That being said he did want to make sure this ended well for everyone._

_"All rise for the honorable judge Ralph" the bailiff cried as in walked an insanely huge man. The judge sat down at his bench._

"Wait… Ralph?" Elsa asked. "Was he about yay tall, very huge and a bit of a wild haircut?" she asked measuring with her hands.

Joseph looked at her. "Well everything except for the haircut… wait! You know the guy?" he asked. Elsa nodded "we went to school together."

That was true, back in high school Ralph had been a bit of a troublemaker. He would always wreck things, whether it be by accident or on purpose, but he did have a heart of gold. The only weird thing was that whenever Elsa was around, he turned into a giant kitten, always stumbling over his words and even himself, always causing even more of a mess than he had started in the first place.

Elsa automatically assumed that he had a crush on her, but of course she was rarely ever around him and quite frankly, didn't want to date at the time. He backed off when she actually started dating, but that didn't make his feelings for her go away. Elsa was polite to him of course; she didn't want to hurt his feelings. She wouldn't have exactly called him a friend though, since of course they were hardly together. after graduation, he skipped own and she hadn't heard anything from him since.

Now apparently he had become a judge (that happened to be going over the case that her Fiancé was dealing with, thanks to his ex). Huh. It was a funny old world. Well there were stranger things that could have happened. Her meeting and dating her cousin's best friends was some such instance.

Joseph sighed. "Yeah well. anyway."

_Joseph and Merida looked at the judge, lost for words. This guy looked kind of harsh. Sure he wasn't exactly scary, but he kind of looked like a bouncer, not a judge. Or even a wrestler. He was the farthest thing from a judge that they would have expected. Not that they were judging him of course._

_He looked around the room "case number 2012" he stated, "custody hearing for Kelly Dunbroch to her parents, Joseph Summers and Merida Dunbroch." He said, "What is the agreement?"_

Now Elsa was getting interested in this story. Truth be told, this was the part where she was getting concerned. Kelly would remain in Joseph's life. She knew obviously that Kelly would probably end up visiting every now and again (which would mean that Merida would probably come as well, which Elsa honestly wasn't looking forward too) not that she was going to complain. She did at least want to get along with Merida. She was just concerned about what Merida thought about leaving Kelly with her.

Elsa didn't want to act like a mother to Kelly or overstep her boundaries; it really wasn't her place to do so. She would be her stepmother of course, but she didn't want to impose on Merida or any of the decisions that she had made for Kelly (or Joseph, if Merida allowed that in the first place after the month that he spent with Kelly). So she would have to consult the other woman on things regarding the little girl, if and when she visited. That is if they happened to get along at any point in the future.

Elsa wasn't one to go and hate someone, but considering that the last time she had send Merida, she hated flirted with her Fiancé while she was standing right next to him., Elsa wasn't sure that she could ever trust Merida, let alone get along with her.

_Joseph and Merida sat pensively as the judge looked over the file several times. They didn't want so crazy verdict or requirements for the custody of Kelly. They had explained why it would be nearly impossible to have joint custody and why Merida was reluctant to move at the moment, as well as why Joseph couldn't move. Needless to say they were worried about how they were going to proceed with Kelly's role in josephs life._

_Ralph sighed before looking at the two of them. After reviewing the evidence, I will ask how do you wish to proceed?"_

_Elinor stood up standing as regal as possible. "Your honor… my daughter is a loving parent and has raised Kelly wonderfully. As for Mr. Summers, He has been with us for the past month. While still rusty..' she gave him a smile "he has devoted his time with us, and made sure to have a loving relationship with Kelly."_

_Merida smiled, happy that her mother was praising their skills as parents (even though Joseph had barely any experience in the matter), not that she saw herself as better than her own expectation, considering there really was no easy way to be a parent. _

She frowned. Merida was an attractive beautiful woman, anyone could see that. the question was, did she used that to her advantage when Joseph was staying with her?

"Joseph… did she try seducing you at any point? Elsa asked.

Joseph flinched, his jaw dropping. He hadn't told her about the night that he and Merida had gotten drunk and almost had sex. Sure they didn't what so ever. Truth be told though Merida hadn't tried to seduce him while sober. Being drunk didn't count since they were both drunk at the time.

Unfortunately for him, Elsa took his response as a confirmation. Her gaze turned cold and she scowled at him, ready to slap him. Not that she wanted to. She trusted him to be able to do the right thing.

Joseph of course, tried to defuse the situation "no! She didn't I swear!" he cried. Elsa's scowl vanished, but the look of concern didn't. She still didn't believe that noting happened. She got on her knees and folded her arms across her chest, giving him a raised eyebrow.

Joseph looked up at her. She was straddling him, with folded arms, giving him one of the only looks that he couldn't resist. Only except of her puppy dogface it was her 'I demand a full answer' face. Of course he was powerless to resist her no mater what method she used on him. It was more effective than anything else in the world.

He gave a sigh. He didn't want to tell her, but it was better that he did tell her (because there was no way he wanted Merida to be the one to tell her that would just be worse in every shape in form) "we got drunk…"

"What!" Elsa screamed. Joseph told her that he didn't have sex with Merida, but then proceeds to tell her that they got drunk. "Why the hell would you get drunk with your ex?!" She screeched at him Joseph looked down. He did regret every moment of that. He just didn't want to hide it from her. He loved her too much for that.

"We were miserable… I hated being away from you. Merida was upset that I was upset. So we poured some wine… and well… her brothers found us past out on the steps, put two and two together and put us in the same bed… but we didn't have sex."

Elsa looked down at him, completely disappointed in him. Well… mostly… at least he didn't sleep with her par se. She lied down on top of him again, kissing his lips gently. "Did she kiss you?" she said seductively. She planted a kiss on his cheeks, then his eyes. "Did she touch you?' she whispered.

Joseph was surprised by Elsa's attitude., Elsa was never this… he wasn't exactly sure how to describe what she was doing. She was just getting a little bolder than he was used to.

"Elsa…" he moaned, but she just kissed him again "shhh. I'll take care of you…" she said. She began kissing his chest, before moving down his body

_Joseph stared out into the distance, Merida at his side, who was holding Kelly in her arms. After a very long extensive hearing the courts had agreed with them and allowed Kelly to stay in Merida's full custody. However she would be asked to take Kelly down to Arendelle every other weekend for visit with Joseph, who would use that time o bond with Kelly, and return her to her mother on Sunday nights. Thankfully, Dunbroch wasn't a very long drive._

_Joseph smiled. It was over. All the tension that he had was lifted off of his shoulders. He had visitations rights for Kelly, and a rather newfound friendship with Merida. They had found a way to simply be friends while still remaining close to one another. They would make sure to raise Kelly as best they could, even though they had to go their own separate ways._

_Merida looked at him "Joseph… I'm sorry I put you through this…" she said. Joseph just glanced at her, giving her a smile. "Don't be." He turned to her placing a hand on her shoulder "Merida, I regret nothing of our time together, especially not Kelly. My only regret is our time apart. I wasn't there for you; I know that you didn't want me, not after everything I had done. But if I had been there, I would have held on to you both so tightly and never let go. Even now, years later, I won't let you go. Not like that. that's a promise." He told her._

_Merida's eyes widened before filling with nothing but absolute love and admiration. She smiled, before grabbing Joseph by his collar and pulled him in kissing his lips. Joseph gently moved his lips in tandem before pulling away. He would have been upset, but honestly there was no point to it anymore. He shook his head chuckling "good bye Merida." he said. He then pecked Kelly's cheek. "Ill see you soon baby girl." _

_With one last smile, he left the courthouse, ready to return home to Arendelle. To the love of his life. To Elsa._

After another passionate round, courtesy of Elsa being a little bolder than usual, they two lay in bed panting even more heavily than before. Joseph was honestly surprised by Elsa's attitude. Usually she was crazy in bed, but he would never have come to expect this from her.

"Wow Elsa… that was new… did you pick up a few things while I was gone?" he asked, a large smile on his face. Elsa smiled, tracing circles on his chest "what can I say? I missed you." she said giggling. She batted he eyelashes at him,

Joseph chuckled, before grabbing Elsa and kissing her softly "oh Elsa, I've missed you so much." He said. He ran his hands down her sides, eliciting another moan as she laid her hands on his chest.

"I've missed you too." Elsa said, kissing him back. She had missed this between them. Simply lying in each other's arms. She melted in his embrace holding him close. Joseph smiled, before pulling Elsa on top of him. Elsa smiled, gently kissing his lips, before taking his hand and holding it tightly.

"Good night" she whispered in his ear.

The two just lied there in each other's arms listening to the sound of the others breathing. Not long later the two fell asleep, ready to face the new day together.

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**Hope you enjoy that! anyone catch the wreck it Ralph reference? I was going to add something else, but I will save it for the next chapter. Hopefully, we will reach the wedding soon! But who says everyone is going to agree with Joseph and Elsa at this point?**

**'What? Really, after all that more drama?' you say? yep, there is just one little thing left before the end. See you next time.**


	35. Chapter 35

**This is probably the quickest I have ever written. This is one of the last chapters… God i'm crying… Please enjoy. **

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The morning sun peeked through the curtains that morning, blessing the two lovers with its light. Elsa and Joseph were still sleep, with Elsa still on top of him and clutching his hand in hers, unwilling to ever let go.

Elsa was the first person to wake up that morning. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she let out a moan. After last night, she was just exhausted and thoroughly pleased with herself. She glanced down and a small smile graced her lips. Joseph was here, sleeping under her with a smile on his face. He was just as happy as she was.

Elsa let out a small giggle, feeling extremely giddy after everything that had happened. After an entire month of feeling down things were going to get back to normal. She would start planning for her wedding again.

Her wedding. Elsa honestly hadn't thought about much over the past month, despite wearing her engagement ring during all the time. It hurt to much, because Joseph was gone instead of being there to help out with her ideas. Granted she would have done most of the work (Joseph always saw the wedding as a day for the bride more than the groom) not that she would have taken complete control over the situation.

She did have an idea for the theme of the wedding; that is to say a winter theme. She always enjoyed the snow, so to be married in such a ceremony would be her dream. She gave a smile, just enjoying herself at the moment. She and Joseph would have a lot to talk about.

Had he thought about the wedding at all? She really couldn't be to sure, mainly because he was far too busy with the little girl to really think about it. He must have missed her though (as if getting the greeting they gave each other wasn't an indicator)

Either way it didn't matter. They were together again. She smiled, draping herself on top of Joseph again, resting her head against his chest, simply listening to the sound of his heartbeat. It was slow, an indicator of his sleeping state. But to her, it was the sound of music she placed a hand on her own breast. Her was beating the same way; they were the same. They were soul mates after all.

She suddenly felt Joseph stir. Clearly he was waking up. He gave a small moan, before his eyelids fluttered and he opened, his green eyes meeting Elsa's blue ones. She was giving him a sly smile "good morning Joseph." She said, pecking his lips. Joseph kissed her back, feeling very happy himself. It had been a very long time she he had woken up like this.

After a few moments they broke apart looking at each other with nothing but absolute love "good morning to you, Elsa!" he replied. He then wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer as he began kissing her with much more passion than before.

Elsa's hands found there way to Josephs cheeks, while her legs wrapped around his waist. They continued kissing passionately, while still naked and under the covers. At least until they heard their stomachs rumble. They broke apart, both blushing furiously. Elsa looked at the clock. It was nearly midday. Guess they slept a little too much; it was much later than they had thought it would be. They never slept in that much!

Joseph chuckled "well Elsa, it looks like you'll be cooking lunch this morning; I still didn't get to learn how to cook while I was away." Elsa giggled, before climbing off of Joseph and heading to her drawer. She pulled out a pair of her undergarments, before slipping them on, then took out a bra and clipped that on as well. She then slipped on a shirt and sweat pants.

Joseph on the other hand slipped into his own undergarments, before grabbing a shirt and comfortable pants. After they were dressed, the two made their way to the kitchen, where as per usual for the rules, Elsa was the one would be doing any and all of the cooking.

"What do you think we should have? Joseph asked her. Elsa looked at him, giving him a knowing smile "how, about some marinara?' she asked.

While Elsa was Norwegian, and therefore had a little bit of a preference to that style of food (since she had many meals of said style growing up) pasta was one of those things she had grown to love while learning how to cook. She hadn't cooked it in a while, so maybe it was the best 'come home meal' so to speak. Plus Joseph himself was Italian and he had a rather obsessive attachment to the food; he could eat quite a lot of it whenever she cooked it. It was terrifying t times, but she was used to it since Anna ate a large amount of food. She gave a slight giggle. Maybe Anna and Joseph could have a food-eating contest someday. It would be hard to tell who could and would win.

Elsa quickly gathered the supplies from the pantry, before starting to boil the water, while Joseph just watched her. He missed this. He loved watching her cook, the way she had a focused face as she made whatever she felt like making. That and it made him hungry just watching her, which made it all the more satisfying when they were actually eating it.

After a while, the water was ready and Elsa added in the pasta allowing it to cook until it was ready, stirring it on occasion. A few minutes later she took some marinara and began cooking it as well.

Joseph didn't know how much longer he was going to be able to contain himself. In many cases involving the Italian dish, he could go a little crazy. If anything it was the equivalent of Elsa and Anna in their chocolate craze. Granted he could survive for much longer and not go into a crazed induce coma if he was depraved of Marinara for a while.

Elsa then placed some helpings on a couple of dishes she and Joseph sat down to eat. However, before either of them could even take a bite, the phone began to ring. Frowning, joseph got up, (wanting Elsa to eat, rather than worry about the phone) and picked it up. His eyes widened as he stared at the number on the phone. Regardless he answered. "Hello mom… dad..." he said

"Joe!" Came the voice of his father, Vito, followed by a " Hey Joe!" by his mother Sophia

Joe… only his parents ever called him that these days. that being said, how were his parents?

"What's up?" Joseph asked

There was a loud laughter on the other end before his mother answered, "oh you know us! We are in Sicily right now, just enjoying ourselves. We got here a month ago."

Joseph grimaced. His parents were on the move again, not that he should really be surprised at this point. That was basically his parent's lives, since they enjoyed it so. He didn't because he wanted to find a place to call home. He had done that of course when he found Elsa.

"So… what exactly? You called because you wanted too?" he asked. He sincerely doubted that. His parents were always trying to get him to join them on their adventures. The problem was that he has a company to run. He couldn't take off because he wanted too.

"Well son that's the thing!" Vito told him "your mother and I are taking this one year cruise around the world in a few weeks and we wanted to know if you would be able to join us." He said cheerfully

Joseph blinked trying to process the information before exclaiming. "What! I… I cant guys! I don't have the time to go on a vagabond style voyage with you! I'm getting married!"

Well he had to tell them eventually right? It wasn't like they were never going to see each other again right? (Though they hadn't seen each other in a few years; not since he graduated from college and took over the company). So he really wasn't sure on when they were going to see each other again anyway. That's just how his parents were. They enjoyed going places and seeing new things rather than stay in one place to long. While he could admire that they saw life as an adventure, they did it to such an extreme that they would rather keep moving than stop and smell the roses. The roses in this case being seeing their own son.

They were silent for a few minutes. It wasn't like he told them anything bad. He had just told them that he was seeing someone… and had been in a serious relationship… and had proposed…. And was getting married all in about 10 seconds.

Elsa for one was completely shocked. She didn't mean to eavesdrop on the conversation, but to be fair she was emotionally invested in what Joseph's parents genuinely thought of her. He never said anything about them being negative though. The issue was that Joseph had never introduced them to a girl before, so finding out you were getting married was quite the shock to be had.

The next moment a "what?!" could be heard through the phone, followed by a "when did this happen? Joseph, you can't just go off and get married and not tell us."

Elsa bit her lip. Joseph was now going to have to explain everything to them.

"Well.. Lets see. Her name is Elsa Winters. She is a 28 year old woman with platinum hair blue eyes and a pale complexion .I met her about six months ago, fell in love with her and now we are engaged. We are getting married in December because she likes the winter. She is a beautiful wonderful woman… no scratch than. She is the embodiment of an angel, a selfless person who would rather die than allow anything bad to happen to the people she loves. She is an ice skater, and a damn good one. She has a younger sister who is quite the adorable woman. She will be a wonderful mother and I will spend the rest of my life with her. Besides.. I'm not a kid anymore. If I want to spend my time with a woman, I will! And since when have you cared! You rarely ever call and when you do it's to always get me to come on your trips with you. Trust me, I would like nothing more than to see you, but not if I have to take time out of my work to travel for as long as you do; time that I don't have! Instead, I have found someone I love who I can spend each an every day with, and I love her for her perfections and imperfections. . If you want to come and meet her, you can, otherwise, feel free to continue spending your lives having fun. Now if you don't mind, I need to be getting back to her. Hope you have fun on your vacation." The last part of that sentence came out bitterly. He hung up the phone slamming it back on its dock

He knew he shouldn't have been so harsh on his parents; they had retired before he was born after making a rather sizable fortune. They were very frugal with it though, never spending too much at any given time. They had only moved a few times whist he was a child, and stopped all together when he was a teenager (granted for the sake of his education). They had apparently moved only twice in the past few years. Once in France and now Sicily. He couldn't be too upset though, mainly because due to their lifestyle, it had led him to Rapunzel, which in turn had led him to Elsa.

Well, beggars can't be choosers can they? Joseph sighed before making his way back to the dinner table, sitting down, giving Elsa a smile. He wished he hadn't sounded so cross in front of her. She knew about his issues with his parents, but that didn't mean that he need to get upset in front of her. She didn't deserve it at all

Elsa had a bit of a frown on her face. It wasn't that she was upset that Joseph had that conversation, she was just sorry that he was so distressed about it… Yeah she wasn't happy that lunch had been partially ruined by the little exchange between her Fiancée and his parents, (though she would forever be grateful that he said those kind words about her to them) but it wasn't exactly a terrible incident. However given that his parents were a bit of a sore spot at the moment, Elsa decided not to press the issue. She took a quick bite of the pasta, relishing in the taste. She had forgotten hoe good she was of a cook. Not that she was trying to pat herself in the back or anything. She was far too modest for that anyway.

Joseph also took a bite out of his meal, unable to resist a small moan as the taste met his tongue. he could never get enough of Elsa's cooking no matter how much she happened to make. It was just one of those things that they liked too much.

They didn't talk much during the meal, not that there was much to say. Elsa and Joseph simply enjoyed being with one another. Sure there was the wedding, but even then, Elsa was going to talk to Anna more than he was when it came to planning the whole thing anyway. Speaking of which, Elsa should probably call Anna and tell her that Joseph was back. Sure Anna was ready to punch Joseph the next time she saw him, but still, wouldn't she be so happy? At least for Elsa.

After a while, the two finished their meal, and took their dishes to the sink, before settling on the couch, Elsa grabbing her phone. She might as well call Anna now and tell her the good news. She punched in Anna's number and held her breath.

"Hello?" came Anna's voice on the other end. Elsa was unable to keep a smile off her face "Anna, are we going to continue our conversation about my wedding?" she asked giggling slightly.

"Your… wait what? I thought that you and…" Anna paused. She hated saying Joseph name, because she was afraid it would upset Elsa. "Wait… You are sounding a little happier than usual Elsa…" she said slowly. A moment later she screamed "is he there with you?!"

Elsa winced; she should have expected that from Anna. "Yes Anna, he just got back last night. So we are resuming our plans to get married." she said happily.

There was a pause for a moment "Elsa… can you please put Joseph on the phone for a quick second?" she asked her voice faintly sickly sweet.

Elsa looked at the phone for a moment before looking at Joseph. She had a feeling that this wasn't going to end very well, but better Anna get everything off of her chest now before she came face to face with her soon to be brother in law. Otherwise she might end up tackling him rather than hugging him. So she didn't want he fiancée to be hurt in any way before the wedding started.

She handed the phone to Joseph, who shook his head, before taking it "hello Anna." he said emotionlessly. He wasn't going to even try and argue with Anna. Not only did he have no right to, arguing with her was like hitting brick wall. Pointless.

"Listen and listen well mister." Joseph would never admit that the way Anna had said that sent shivers down his spine "I understand that you had your problems. I don't blame you for that. Not anymore. But if you ever hurt her ever again… I will make sure to eviscerate you from the inside out."

Joseph, though screaming on the inside after hearing that, managed to keep on a straight face on the outside. "I understand perfectly Anna. But you have nothing to fear. I love Elsa with all my heart and I will never hurt her."

"You better keep that promise Joseph. Because if you don't… I will look for you… I will find you… and I will kill you."

Joseph gave a small smile. He would make sure never to give Anna a reason to kill him. "Good luck" he said before hanging up the phone. He gave a sigh, before leaning back onto the couch. "Oh god Elsa… we haven't been awake that long and already people are threatening me…"

Elsa gave a giggle "well, Joseph, you have to admit, you do have a nasty habit of attracting trouble.." she said. Joseph just laughed. In a way that was true. He had dated Merida, who had seduced him, had his child and caused the entire mess that had happened all because she was stubborn. Not that he regretted any of it.

"Well Elsa what can I say? Besides, I think you like a bit of trouble." He said, giving her a smile.

Elsa shook her head, moving closer to Joseph. "Oh, Joseph… your impossible." She laughed. She leaned closer to him and pecked his lips. "I think we should just be comfortable for the rest of hours lives…" she whispered.

Joseph kissed her back "I think I can agree with that." he said before wrapping his arms tightly around Elsa, who climbed into his lap. The two just sat there kissing. They could work on the wedding later.

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**Yeah… so cute don't you think? That being said, I have to be honest here. I have said that Elsa has a lot to plan, rather than Joseph. Don't the brides usually plan the wedding? Forgive me, but thats just how i thought it worked. I've always thought of a wedding as a day for the bride, rather than the groom. **

**So if any married woman has the answer, please tell me.**

**Next time… (Here comes the bride plays in the background) oops gotta go! bye!**


	36. Chapter 36

**This chapter was going to be the wedding, but there was more to be done. Thank you Jacob Flores for giving me your suggestion. I don't know how many more chapters there are left, but i know that this will be ending soon.**

**Enjoy. **

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Four months later, Elsa and Joseph just couldn't be any happier. Elsa had done most of the planning along with Anna (Joseph and Kristoff had helped when they could, but they really didn't know much about what they were doing) and the only thing left was to book it, pay for it and (just to be cute for it) go through with the wedding all together. Not that Elsa was concerned. Oh no, she had passed being concerned roughly after the night Joseph returned from Merida's. No, rather than be concerned, Elsa was positively freaking out. The wedding was only a month away and she was nervous, almost jittery to the point where she felt that at any moment she was going to spontaneously combust into absolute nothingness. It didn't help that she was currently standing in front of a mirror, wearing what would be her wedding dress. She looked gorgeous, ethereal even. The dress was pure white, smooth and silky, with snowflake patterns lining the edges of the dress.

Elsa looked every bit of the angel that everyone believe her to be.

With her were Anna, Rapunzel and Merida (Kelly was with Maudie out and about t a pet store so as to not cause chaos in a store, which she was known to do every other time she went into a store). Yep you heard right Merida was with her, helping her pick out her wedding dress (well technically she already did, since the dress was specifically tailor made for her, courtesy of her friends). Not long after the first few visits, Merida and Elsa mended the fences and actually became very good friends, rarely ever fighting (least over Joseph, who was pretty thunderstruck to see the two get along.) the two managed to talk about quite a lot of things, whether it be interests, likes dislikes or (much to Josephs embarrassment) Joseph himself. They kept the romantics to a minimum, since Elsa didn't want Merida to be uncomfortable, but Merida being Merida never passed up an opportunity to cause an awkward situation by mention things that Joseph liked in bed to Elsa. While Elsa normally wouldn't mind this, she had to wonder why Merida liked causing her embarrassment.

Elsa never would have guessed that Merida was like that, but she supposed that it was better than constantly arguing with the other woman, like they had in the past. Elsa wasn't one to hold grudges anyway, so why should she start doing so now?

Merida had actually moved away from her parent back in her hometown and moved closer to Arendelle, sending Kelly to a newer daycare center that specialized in children her age. It was close enough to still visit her parents, but not so far from Arendelle either. She claimed it was because she didn't want to feel like a distraction or in Elsa's case a threat. Not that Elsa saw her as one, anyway.

Elsa smiled happy that things had changed.

_A knock on the door startled Joseph and Elsa, until they realized what had happened. it was Merida's first visit after she moved to be closer to Joseph. Elsa hadn't been terribly excited over the situation, but she supposed she could live with it, considering that on a technical note, she had won the little nonexistent contest that had been going on between herself and Merida._

_Joseph stood up a smile on his face as he walked to the door and opened it, letting out an "oomph!" of surprise as Kelly jumped and him tackling him in the stomach. He wrapped his arms around the little girl, picking her up and flinging her into the air. Kelly squealed as he caught her, before he deposited her on the ground, allowing her to walk into the room, Merida behind her._

_Kelly walked into the living room, where she saw Elsa deposited on the couch. Quickly, Kelly tottered over to the angel, as she liked to think of her 'auntie Elsa' and quickly climbed up on to the couch beside her, before wrapping her arms around Elsa's waist. Elsa gave a smile wrapping the girl with her arms. "Nice to see you Kelly!" she said to the girl._

_Kelly looked at Elsa giving her a smile "nice to see you to, auntie Elsa" she said happily._

_Auntie Elsa. Elsa would never have imagined being called that. Well not until Anna had a child that was old enough to talk (which hopefully wouldn't be for another few years, or at least a few months.). But Kelly calling her that made her heart melts. She pated the girls shoulder "would you like some chocolate? She asked. Kelly nodded vigorously. Joseph had told her that Kelly could have chocolate. It was just she could have a sugar rush if she ended up having to much of it (which was no doubt true because of experience, considering her Fiancé had spent a month with the child). So Elsa went to the kitchen and took out a Hershey kiss out giving it to the young girl. Kelly thanked her and popped the little piece of chocolate in her mouth., before going to the couch. Olaf, who had been in the corner of the room, trotted over to her, before leaping on the couch and sitting beside her. Kelly's eyes widened and she began to pet the little kitten, who was pleased by the attention._

_Elsa grinned at the sight. Her soon to be stepdaughter was wonderful. Merida had raised a polite young girl and probably couldn't be anymore prouder than she already was. Speaking of Merida… Elsa returned to the living room, where Joseph and Merida were seated at the table where Elsa and Joseph usually had their meals. They seemed to be having a deep conversation about Kelly; which made sense since she was their daughter after all. She pulled a chair out and sat down. While Elsa didn't particularly think she should at all interrupt the conversation (because she didn't want to impose on Merida's parenting, at least without her permission.), she might as well be a part of it while Olaf kept Kelly busy._

_To her surprise Merida turned to her with a very large smile on her face. Now that was probably the most surprising thing off all. She had half expected Merida to be withdrawn from her, given that the last time they had seen each other, Merida had been trying to seduce Joseph over to her side. But then again she had apologized to her and all that. So Elsa wasn't trying to be too suspicious. "Good morning, Elsa. I'm sorry we came on such sort notice." Merida said _

_Elsa almost did a double take, not sure whether or not she should even try to take that seriously. She was still trying to figure out how to talk to Merida without coming across and suspicious. She settled for giving the other woman a smile and shook her head '"its no trouble Merida!" she said "its always a welcome to have you and Kelly here. We could use a little more excitement than we're used to… insist that right Joseph?" she asked, turning to look at her Fiancée. Joseph nodded "sounds good to me." He said with a grin._

_Merida gave a laugh "yeah… your right… Kelly is very excitable as it is." She said looking at the little girl who was still playing with Olaf on the couch nearby. _

That had been the first visit that Merida had shown up at. After the next few visits any animosity that Elsa thought she would have, was pretty much gone forever and she could honestly say that she was happy to have Merida as a friend in her life. She had honestly been afraid though that Merida would look too much into her relationship with Joseph but she honestly never asked too much (except to ask how he was doing when they happened to be alone. Elsa was grateful that Merida seemed to have finally given up her pursuit of Joseph. She did ask whether or not she found someone but Merida said that while she had only wanted Joseph in her life because he was Kelly's father, she felt looking for a man that was not worth it because, even if he did accept the fact that Merida was a mother and would want to raise Kelly, it would be to distracting trying to find such a man.

To that Elsa could understand Merida's reasons. Plus because of the time they had spent together, Merida offered several tips about raising children to Elsa; she would be able to help if needed as well. Elsa didn't want to depend on Merida too much though; she wanted to be able to raise her child while standing on her own two feet, only asking for assistance when needed, just like Merida had. Though Merida had it worse since she was pretty much a single mother. Elsa smiled. Motherhood was certain to be quite the change in her life. But she was more than willing to accept it when the time came.

Elsa did a twirl, admiring the dress that her friends had made and paid for, she looked absolutely stunning. She couldn't wait until Joseph saw her in it (he was busy getting his tuxedo of course. A weddings work was never done no matter what could be done about it. At least until after the reception, anyway). After a few moments, Elsa returned to the main room where the other were waiting for her. Anna squealed when she saw Elsa in her wedding dress, barely able to contain her excitement. There was Elsa all dressed in white, you might as well thought Anna was going to start singing 'here comes the bride all dressed in white'. Thankfully though she didn't.

Rapunzel's reaction was a little more subdued. She had a huge smile on her face and clapped lightly, but her body was shaking like mad; she seemed to be as excited as Anna was, but was trying her best not to lose it.

As for Merida, she had a very large grin on her face and unlike Elsa's other bride maids (Anna was her maid of honor of course) she just calmly stated, "you look wonderful Elsa. Joseph is going to be so proud when he sees you." There was no sarcastic quip, no jealously or anger. Her voice was wholly sincere. Merida was happy that her newfound friend was excited to be wearing her wedding dress.

Elsa smiled there was nothing that could be better than this moment. After everyone agreed that her dress was perfect, she had it boxed up and the four of them left the store. Elsa was going to be sure to thank Merida for showing her the place where she had her wedding dress made. In fact it was one of her dad's friend's son's wife who had run the place. Knowing Merida, Elsa figured that Merida had threaten them (the friend, not the wife) considering how much she disliked her friends (something about Elinor setting them up when they were younger; point was it didn't work out)

Not that Elsa was complaining of course. Everything was falling perfectly into place. Except for one minor problem that was bugging Elsa. Kai and Gerda. The two hadn't called Elsa in the past few month, probably because of the fact that Elsa had unceremoniously threw them out of the apartment when they attempted to talk her out of waiting for Joseph while he was with Merida. She hadn't made any attempt either, because of that. She knew that while Josephs parents might not make it to the wedding (he had explained they were on a cruise that would go around the world) Kai and Gerda no reason not to come (other than not being sure if they were invited; which they were.) in all honesty, she wanted them to come, but she wanted them to cone without any sort of regrets are bias. Joseph had proven his worth. They needed to accept him. She had already decided that if they didn't then they didn't need to be apart of her life. It was sort of like that already (but truth be told, she would honestly not want that to happen because it would just be completely unfair.)

But of course they had made that choice. Even worse she couldn't believe that Josephs own parents would rather be on a cruise rather than visit their son and attend his wedding. When he talked to them he seemed rather upset about it (though she couldn't imagine that he wouldn't have been)

Either way, Elsa was hoping that the wedding would go very well, no matter what happened. After everything that she and Joseph had been through throughout the process of the engagement (though she had mostly put everything that Merida had put her through behind her, for the most part), she wanted everything to be perfect. Didn't she deserve that much at least? She never really asked for that much anyway. The one thing that she could count on however was her sister and cousin though. They had helped her immensely in the past few months (though Elsa had been trying her best to rein them in before they got to ambitious; she was thankful that Kai and Gerda taught her that much during the course of her life)

The four girls had gone through many of the ideas that Elsa wanted for her wedding with agreements from Joseph here and there (and some of the ideas that he had come up with.) they just still had to pay for most of it, since they hadn't exactly managed to get the supplies (they had been too busy planning it and getting the tuxedo and dresses and sending the invitations. Not that there were many to begin with since Elsa only wanted it to be a small wedding)

Elsa was proud of all that she had done; it just didn't feel complete.

As they walked back to the cars, Elsa felt her phone buzz. She grabbed her phone from her pocket. Her eyes widened. According to the caller ID, it was Kai. Why would he be calling her now? After everything that had happened? She wasn't sure whether to be angry or happy (granted, if Kai and Gerda were intending to apologize after everything they had done in the past few months then Elsa was going to be more than willing to forgive them. she just didn't expect that to happen anytime soon, given that they had been against the idea of her getting married so soon since day one. Could she forgive them though? What if after they were married, Kai and Gerda were the ones to push Elsa away? It would be the exact same situation sure, but the idea of them abandoning her after they had promised Elsa that would never be the case (since they had promised her parents after all).

With a sigh, Elsa opened her phone, letting out a tired "hello Kai". It was taking every ounce of her will not to be angry at the moment, because she still hadn't forgiven them for what they had done to her during their last visit (even though that had been during the worst possible time at that stage in Elsa's life.) There was a moment of silence as if Kai wasn't sure what to say (which might have been true)

"Elsa…" Kai said, "how are you?" he asked, trying to ease his way into the conversation. Well they both had to start somewhere. It wasn't like Elsa or Kai for that matter were going to be exactly the same as they were over a half a year ago. it was going to be a long road.

Elsa looked at her friends, who noticed that she had stopped. She motioned for them to go on without her; she would be along in a moment "I'm fine Kai… I just tried on my wedding dress." she wasn't sure that she should have told him that, but he did have some right to know; that is if he accepted the invitation to come to her wedding next month.

Kai sighed on the other end of the line "your wedding dress…" he breathed. Elsa bit her lip. Kai and Gerda still couldn't believe that she was all grown up for one. Sometimes she wondered if they still saw her and Anna as the little girls that they helped raise. It really wouldn't have surprised her all too much. They were very overprotective. But they had to get over it. She wasn't a little girl any more. She was going to get married and have children. Did Kai and Gerda even want grandchildren? Sure, Anna could do the same, but that would just end up being biased and such if they only allowed Anna to have children (not that Kai and Gerda had any choice in the matter; Anna and Kristoff were going to have children when they were ready no matter what.)

"Yes Kai, my wedding dress. I'm getting married next month. You did get my invitation didn't you?" This time Elsa was not able to hide the bitterness that laced her voice. She had sent out the invitation out not long after she and Joseph finished planning the wedding. She had received word from all of her guests except Kai and Gerda. (They hadn't sent out any invitations to his parents since they knew they were out on a vacation)

"I know… which is why Gerda and I are offering to pay for it dear. We wanted to apologize for everything. We were just worried sweetheart."

Elsa knew that, but that was no excuse for the way they had acted. But she was shocked as well, by the rest of his words. Kai wanted to pay for it? "Why would you want to do that?" she asked. Kai sighed "Elsa… think of it as an apology. Will you accept it?

Elsa sighed. Could she accept it? She did want them at her wedding. After a moment she said, "Kai if your serious… please come over and we will discuss the details."

Kai let out a sigh. "I'll see you soon" he said before hanging up.

Elsa stared at the phone before sighing and returning it to her pocket. There would be a lot to talk about. But for now, she caught up with the others (who were waiting for her) and they retuned to their cars, getting ready for the next stop.

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**Well Kai and Gerda seem ok now… they will be helping out now!**


	37. Chapter 37

**This is it folks. the wedding! get dressed and be prepared because the day has finally arrived! Thank you all! Also thank you Aya Stark for assisting me with preparing the wedding! Enjoy! **

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Elsa stood in front of a mirror jittery, practically unable to breath or think. She was dressed in her wedding dress again, only this time she was wearing a snow white veil to match it this time around as well as white high heels. Her bouquet was white even, since she was not a very huge fan of red (what she liked ice; besides it was her wedding she wanted it to be unique. Anna had red roses at her wedding, so might as well do something a little different, don't you think?) Her wedding was in less than 5 minutes and she couldn't concentrate long enough to calm down in order to relax. It wasn't like she was concerned about getting married; she did not want to back out of this. She was ready to get married after six long months of being engaged to the man that she had been dating for almost a year. She was just a little upset because she felt so nervous. Even Anna's presence beside her did little (which was Elsa's lie of absolutely nothing at all) to sooth her fears. Now she knew how Anna had felt when she was getting married. Elsa at the time had convinced herself that she was not going to be feeling this way. Oh how wrong she had been. She might actually just be feeling worse because at the very least, Anna had much more confidence in herself that Elsa had ever had in her life. She could use a little more optimism as it was (even though she doubted that it would help at the moment)

She had spent a large amount of this past month going over every little detail for the wedding, sometimes several times over, even more at timers. Everyone thought that she was working way to hard for her own good, despite the fact that her wedding was supposed to be a special day. It was to be special for both her and Joseph; they had planned everything through thick and thin and made sure that everything was prepared.

The best part was that Kai and Gerda, after months of being unsure of Elsa's choice to marry Joseph, had decided to attend the wedding after all. That had made Elsa very happy. She may not have approved of their attitude (nor had she wholly forgiven them for it), but she was thankful that they could put all the bias aside and attend the wedding of their other little girl.

Kai and Gerda had even paid for everything! True they didn't need to, since either Joseph or Elsa herself were perfectly capable of doing that themselves, but Elsa was thankful because it was one of the steps that she had taken with them in order to mend the relationship that they had so long ago.

She had been a little on the fence at first but in all honesty it hadn't been so bad.

_Kai and Gerda sat on the couch across from a pensive Elsa and a confused Joseph. It had been a few days since Elsa had gone dress shopping and it was then that she had Kai and Gerda stop by their apartment, making sure that they would apologize for their less than warm welcome to Joseph into their family._

_Joseph himself was confused. Kai and Gerda had never once visited his apartment in the past few months he and Elsa had been dating. Even then, he knew that despite their cordially greeting to him at Anna's wedding, they had never once shown much of an interest in getting to know him as well as they had with Kristoff, at least according to Elsa herself. She had told him the reason they hadn't liked him was not because of his attitude (because he was nothing but polite to them when they first met; even though that was the only time.) but because of the fact they felt that Elsa was rushing into a relationship. That and because Joseph had been a known playboy in the past (though not for years at the time that he had met Elsa). in all honesty though, Joseph had known that Kai and Gerda hadn't liked him. He was just happy that Anna liked him enough to give them her blessing for marriage. That had been one of the happiest moments of Elsa's life._

_That being said he had to wonder why Elsa was even bothering to try to get Kai and Gerda to like him. Not that he didn't appreciate the gesture. It was just that Elsa had never tried to do that before, so what had changed in the past few months that had changed her mind all of a sudden? _

_He didn't want to seem ungrateful though. If Kai and Gerda were willing (that is if they weren't being forced to by Elsa; though she was pretty convincing when she wanted to be) to at least try and get closer to establishing a familial relationship (if they wanted to continue being apart of Elsa's life that is) then who was he to get in the way? He wanted to do the same. Rapunzel's parents were very welcoming and since he was now going to be apart of the family (though when it came to Rapunzel's parents, he was already like a son to them.) he wanted to have a good relationship with everyone._

_That really wasn't too much to ask for was it? Elsa had worked her whole life pleasing Kai and Gerda, whether it be for her academics or other achievements that she had accumulated over the years that she had been in their care. Didn't she deserve a little bit of happiness for her own sake, just once? _

_Well that's why they were here at the moment wasn't it? Elsa began speaking "so… I believe you have something to say?" The way she spoke it was so cold, you might as well have been sitting in an iceberg. It wasn't even a question it was a statement. Which was very true._

_Kai and Gerda flinched, shaken by the tone in Elsa's voice. They both knew what she was saying was very true. They had been very terrible parents. They had promised Adgar and Idun that they would always protect their little girls. They had done that. Elsa and Anna weren't so little anymore. They were grown woman capable of making their own choices. They no longer needed Kai and Gerda's protection. True they had been upset over Elsa's choices recently, but they had a duty to watch over her. She might not be so little anymore, but she was still their daughter. _

_They would always be there for her. But it was up to her husband t protect and watch over her now. They were a family, and they would live their lives, raising the children that they would create and go on into a long and blissful marriage. With Kai and Gerda's blessing. _

_They let out a sigh "your right Elsa. We are very sorry. We shouldn't have treated you the way we did. Or you Joseph. We were just afraid about-" Elsa gave them a glare as if daring to even bring up Josephs playboy past. Neither of them enjoyed talking about it, mainly because it was not one of the best times in Joseph's life. He never brought it up in any of the conversations that they had. The only thing about his past he was willing to talk about was Merida. But only because she was the mother of his child. Anything else was just null and void._

_Gerda, noticing Elsa's glare quickly shut up, not wanting to shatter any chance of helping with her wedding. That's why they were here of course. To mend the fences and hopefully move together to a brighter future. While she hadn't approved of Elsa's past few choices, she did want to be a part of her life._

_Instead she looked at Elsa and said " so… are you willing to let Kai and I pay for your wedding… as a gift from us?"_

_Elsa but her lip. She did want that. Not to extort anything mind you. Just to help mend the fences. After a moment she nodded "Thank you Gerda."_

Now a month later, everything was bought and paid for. Ice crystals lined the wall of the chapel, making a winter wonderland of sorts. Everything was either an icy blue or pure white (except the cake, which was a milk chocolate dessert) with snowflake designs everywhere, even lining the ceiling, almost making it look like it was snowing. Elsa had seen it all and it looked beautiful. She could never thank Kai and Gerda enough for what they had done for her wedding.

Now if only she could just get over this whole nerve wracking situation that she currently found herself stuck in. she didn't want to think like this, but she couldn't help it. She would have been biting her nails, if they weren't perfectly manicured for this occasion.

Beside her Anna placed a hand on Elsa's shoulder. "Elsa… it's going to be alright." She said trying to ease her older sisters mind.

That didn't help. Elsa just turned to look at her sister, taking another look at herself in the mirror. Her face was lightly coated in makeup, with eyeliner lining her eyes as well as her lips coated in a light pink. Her normally pale face was coated to look a little more colorful, though not much. Her hair, which was normally in a French braid if she had it styled (or all down while at home) was in a tight bun. She looked quite beautiful. Too bad that wasn't helping. "Oh Anna… I don't know what to do!" she began looking down at herself, as if checking herself all over "do I look pretty enough? Do I look good? I don't know! I'm freaking out!" if Elsa was ready to pull her hair out, now was the time.

Anna shook her head "Elsa you look beautiful! Cheer up! Its your wedding day!" she said, before the door opened revealing Rapunzel "Anna, your needed at the alter. She said. Anna smiled, before walking out the door "see you soon Elsa." She said.

On the other side of the chapel, Joseph was preparing for the wedding. Unlike Elsa, who was freaking out, Joseph was looking much calmer than his bride to be. He was currently checking himself out in a mirror, simply adjusting his bowtie. God he hated parties. Sure even his own. Granted he wasn't that upset. It was just dressing up was no fun. Even after the many years of having to deal with company parties that he was forced to go to, he still never got over his general distain over the party atmosphere. Of course the fact that he was getting married helped ease the pain.

Joseph had combed his hair, while wearing an entire black tuxedo, while wearing a authentic red rose in his breast pocket. The undershirt was white of course, and he wore comfortable black shoes.

In short he looked like the perfect groom. He managed to fix his tie, before checking himself out in the mirror. Yep perfect.

His mind drifted to Elsa, and he smiled. He couldn't wait to see her in all her glory. This was mostly her day after all. She did most of the planning, though Kai and Gerda had brought it to life for the most part. Speaking of Kai and Gerda (or parental figures in general) his parents much to his shock had abandoned their one-year cruise (after it docked in the U.S of course) in order to attend his wedding. Joseph couldn't have been any more happier if he tried. If only he could have told them about Kelly before they had arrived.

_Joseph Elsa with only a few weeks before their wedding were only again having a quick visit from Merida and Kelly when there was a knock at their front door. The four of them jumped, not expecting it. Who was it supposed to be this time. Joseph went to the door, checking, before his jaw dropped. He opened the door, revealing his parents, Vito and Sophia Summers. Vito was a tall powerfully built man with dark hair and brown eyes, with a skin tone that matched his son and a generally appearance. His mother on the other hand was a beautiful woman with a kind face and a Latino skin tone. She held her son's eyes and hair in a sort of similar fashion that Kelly did with her father. Speaking of which… _

_"Whose at the door daddy?" came Kelly's intrigued voice from the living room. Talk about timing._

_Vito looked at his son, his eyes widening from the shock "Daddy?" he whispered. Joseph shook his head "are you going to come in? He asked, avoiding the subject. He knew that he was going to have to explain the situation to them. Everything. _

_He allowed his parents to enter the room, leading them to the living room, where Merida and Elsa were still on the floor; playing a board game that Kelly wanted to play._

_The trio looked up at the new arrivals "hello!" Kelly said standing up and walking over to her (unknowingly) grandparents "my name is Kelly Dunbroch! Who are you?"_

_Vito and Sophia looked at the young girl whose appearance matched her fathers before glancing at the two grown woman in the room. From the description Joseph had given them before the platinum blond was Elsa. But this child bared a resemblance to the red head. They looked at Joseph "Joseph…" Sophia whispered_

_Joseph frowned "this is my daughter… Kelly. Her mother is Merida Dunbroch." He looked at Merida. "She was born 3 years ago, long after Merida and I… " He trailed off "Kelly? Go to the bedroom. Olaf is waiting for you" he said. Kelly nodded before going to the bedroom that was set up for her to play with Olaf. _

_"After Merida and I made love one night. She never told me anything and left without any explanation. I had no idea that she even existed until about 5 months ago. By that time I had already met Elsa" he looked at Elsa. "Merida and I have decided that it's best if we remain friends. She retains full custody of Kelly and I am able to visit her whenever I want. She usually comes during the weekends." He told them._

_Vito looked at his son "you marrying another woman after having a child…"_

_"Out of wedlock? Yes! If you had ever paid attention to my life, you would know that while I love both Elsa and Merida… Merida is not really interested in marriage and likes her independence, which I respect. Elsa… she is more than I deserve and I love her for who she is. In the short amount of time that I got to know her, I knew that she would be the one I would marry. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with her. Its up to you if you would like to join us." Joseph spat_

_Merida and Elsa looked at each other and smiled. they weren't at all upset hearing that Joseph loved them both. _

_Sophia shook her head "Joseph… we love you.."_

_Joseph frowned "I love you too. But I know you. If you weren't traveling the world, you weren't happy!"_

_Vito and Sophia looked at each other, before looking at Joseph again "son… we left our vacation because we wanted to attend your wedding…"_

_"Would you stay after that?" Joseph asked them. He wanted them to; they were his parents after all. But he knew that they loved seeing the world. After a moment he said "you can come… but after that… if you want to leave you can... just know… I'll be happy for the both of us…_

_They all knew what he meant._

Whether or not his parents would stay within relative visiting distance hadn't been discussed, mainly because he wanted to focus on his wedding with Elsa.

Kristoff cleared his throat. "Joseph… your needed at the altar." Joseph looked at Kristoff and nodded, following him to the altar where he stood awaiting his bride. He stared ahead where Elsa would no doubt be.

Everyone was here. His parents, Gerda, the entire Dunbroch family (Kai was going to give Elsa away

Kristoff stood next to him "cheer up man, its your wedding day!" Joseph smiled at his friend "I know… Its just…", meanwhile Anna, who was on the other side of the altar, cleared her throat "Joseph.." she whispered "smile"

Anna… she was always going to make sure everyone was happy. That was the basis of her personality after all.

At that moment "here comes the bride started playing." Everyone rose and looked back, watching as Elsa in all her glory walked up the isle holding arms with Kai. They made it to the alter, where Kai gave Elsa a smile, before going to his seat next to Gerda. Elsa handed her bouquet to Anna, before taking her place next to Joseph.

After a very long process, which involved the priest, some kind words and the exchanging of the vows the priest looked at Anna and Kristoff "may I have the rings?" he asked. Anna and Kristoff nodded taking the rings. Anna had Josephs a simple gold band. Kristoff had Elsa's a pure silver band with a white gemstone atop of it, sparking like the ice that Elsa loved so much. The bride and groom took the rings and slipped them on each other. "You may now kiss the bride." the priest said

Joseph lifted the veil from Elsa's face, before gently leaning in and kissing her lips. Elsa through her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss, while ignoring the many cheers that followed. A moment later, they broke apart, smiling they took a look at the crowd, who continued to cheer and whistle despite the kiss being done. Elsa looked over to Anna, who handed her bouquet back to Elsa. Grinning the newlyweds walked to the doors of the chapel, before Elsa through her bouquet at the crowd. Hilariously it landed in Merida's lap. Everyone, even Joseph and Elsa, couldn't help but laugh.

Giving each other a grin, Joseph and Elsa walked out the door, beginning the new day in their lives.

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**There may be an epilogue after this, so don't get to sad!**


	38. Chapter 38

**This is it final chapter. this was a long and very heartwarming journey. I'm glad to have been able to share it with all of you.**

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Seven years later, there was absolute chaos at the Summer's household. Mind you the chaos came from the machinations of the many kids that were running around the mansion and its rather huge grounds.

Kelly, now 10 years old was currently chasing her 6-year-old twin half siblings. Anthony and Idina 'Idun' Summers, in what would have been a very nice game of tag, if Kelly didn't have a huge advantage over the fact she was older and much more athletic. But of course being the kind older sister that she was, she was not going to be going that hard on them. She wanted them to have fun after all.

There were other children as well. Anna and Kristoff's two kids 5 year old Kristen and 3 year old Jonathan. Even Eugene and Rapunzels three children came to join the fun. 5-year-old Flynn, 3-year-old Zach and 1-year-old Mandy.

Anthony was the spitting image of his father in looks, but his eyes were the crystal blue of his mother. He also shared her personality and was very shy. Idina was the exact replica of her own mother, save for her green eyes, similar to her father and half sister. Unlike her brother though, she was much more wild, like her father was during his playboy days. May god help Arendelle when she takes it by storm.

Kristen was her mothers daughter, both in looks and personality, but she had her fathers blond hair, though she retained her mothers eyes. Jonathan was his fathers son in every way, right down to his brown eyes, but he had his mothers hair.

Flynn was like his father, cocky and arrogant, but with a heart of gold. He bared virtually no resemblance to his mother, only retaining her green eyes (which matched his mischievous personality). Zach was a mixture of his parents, looking like Flynn but had his mother's hair and eyes. He was more of a goody two shoes though, compared to his brother. As for Mandy, she resembled her mother almost perfectly, but had brown hair, unlike her mother's blond.

The entire family had come for a get together and were each doing their own thing. Kelly was playing tag with her siblings, Flynn and Kristen were getting into mischief as always and the toddlers were in a playpen, while the one infant was in the arms of her mother.

Things certainly had changed over the past few years. Merida for the most part had become a close friend of the Summers, despite the grief she had cause long ago. in fact she was Anthony and Idina's godmother (even though they referred to her as 'Auntie Merida') Anna was too, but unfortunately, when the twins were born, they were almost at each others throats for the title, And unfortunately given that she was Josephs best friend, Rapunzel did the same. so Joseph and Elsa settled for making them all god mothers to their children.

Merida had never married. Despite Rapunzel offering her many times over the years to set her up with several nice men (or even old friends) Merida had decided that she really didn't need or want marriage; Kelly was her own little word and all she ever needed. She never did bring up her old relationship with Joseph, nor did she ever claim to regret it. it was just as if it was a one time thing. However she did come to visit on many occasions, which did warm Joseph's heart. Despite the fact that they had dated and broken up (and conceived Kelly), they had become and remained such good friends. She even became even closer to Elsa offering her tips about raising children and generally doing things that most friends would do.

As for the rest of Meridas family, the triplets were in college and Fergus became the chief of Police, (though he was not to far off from retiring) Elinor had put up a good fight with her leukemia, and after many treatments and heartache, successfully managed to beat her illness and send it into remission. Not long after this she decided to return to her career, but on a reduced capacity. She wanted to spend her days happily and healthily with her children and grandchild.

As for Eugene and Rapunzel, they had moved to be a little closer to Merida, leaving Corona, with Eugene transferring into Fergus's old command. He became a successful detective in the narcotics department, closing many cases and generally cleaning up the streets. He even became acquainted with many of Fergus's old squad mates and (much to Merida's chagrin) ended up becoming good friends with them. There were even times where Fergus would join in on the fun, despite his position.

Rapunzel became the head curator of a nearby art museum, happily working as an art professor as well, assisting the most creative students in the area. She visited Merida many times getting into the same routine that they had when they were in college (which led to some trouble on occasion, whether it would be with or without the kids.) there were times where Rapunzel questioned why she was still going out on dates with Merida, but then she remembered she had to be the voice of reason. Though that didn't stop her from enjoying herself a little more, at least for Merida's sake (which resulted in the two once singing 'I kissed a girl' during a drunken stupor).

Anna, after many years of working at a daycare center, got a job as a child psychologist and began working with kids in a more direct manner. She even used her skills to assist herself, Rapunzel and Elsa in raising their children. She couldn't be any more happier if she tried.

Kristoff on the other hand worked through the ranks of his families distribution business and eventually became the CEO after his father Pabbie retired. He often asked Joseph for advice on the matter, and became quite proficient in his position.

Kai and Gerda, after the wedding, elected to try and re bond with Elsa, accepting Joseph as her husband and their son in law. They started talking to Elsa more often and never questioned Elsa or Anna. They moved out of the summers household, deciding that Elsa (or if necessary Anna), should return to their old home. They moved to a small apartment nearby, but returned each day to visit the family.

Joseph parents resumed their usually routine of travelling, claiming that they still had to see the world. They did however move into an apartment complex (the same as Kai and Gerda), deciding to travel only during the summer season (which was the best time of year for them they decided), finally establishing a familial relationship with their son and daughter in law. They quickly grew to like Elsa, and they had many visits with their grand children. There were times where Merida joined them and Vito and Sophia quickly grew to like Merida. Despite Joseph having fathered children with two women, they never picked favorites, loving their grand children equally.

As for Joseph and Elsa, life as newlyweds couldn't have been blissful enough. They took a two weeklong honeymoon in the Bahamas on a private island that had been bought by his former boss as a gift for when he took the job. (Joseph had never been so thankful for his predecessor at that point.) They had spent many hours alone in the waters, taking boat trips and snorkeling long into the day or just enjoying the sunset in the sand. There were also quite a few wild nights that resulted in extreme amounts of fun for the couple. The best part though was just being alone without any interruptions. There were no phone calls to home, no interactions with anyone else whatsoever. They just enjoyed each others company and the peace and quite that they felt they deserved after the ordeals that they had gone through in the past year.

Not long after that, Elsa fell pregnant. Needless to say they were much happier than they had ever been before in their lives. The news had been unexpected, but in the end, neither had regretted a single moment of it. Elsa was certain that she was ready for motherhood. Joseph was slightly more concerned, but never the less shared her sentiments. They were even more surprised when they found out it was twins.

Despite this, Elsa went through the process of pregnancy quite flawlessly (though she decided that after twins she was through with children; Merida was quite right, children were a handful. But throughout the many long nights, changing diapers and feeding them. the two had crafted a wonderful life with their children. They couldn't be any happier

Despite Joseph's and Elsa's reservations about their living ideals, they decide to return to the Winters household, not far from the city (though certainly far enough for privacy), mainly for the space where they would allow their children to grow in relative peace. Plus Kai and Gerda (who returned to their duties as butler and house maid as well as the twins designated baby sitters) were ecstatic to have grand children running around the house (though they forgot how terrible it actually was. Many a times they had to chase the twins around the house trying to get them to do things). It made for quite a few entertaining moments whenever Joseph and Elsa came home after a very long day.

Anna and Kristoff wanting to be closer to their sister and brother (in laws) also returned to Arendelle (where Kristoffs families company main building was), moving into an estate not far from the Summer's, where they had eventually started a family as well. When Anna was pregnant she was ecstatic (as was Kristoff) and Elsa made sure to help Anna out whenever she could. There were many times Kai and Gerda were willing to pull their hair out while watching up to 5 infants or toddlers. Not that the four parents had any complaints; they had to deal with it too. It was just more fun watching Kai and Gerda go insane over them.

But of course, everyone had too much fun. Being a parent was hard work, but in the end it was rewarding.

Kelly after a while finally decided to stop playing with her siblings. She put on a burst of speed effortlessly catching up with her half siblings. She poked them both "Gotcha!" she cried. Anthony and Idina stopped, giving the older girl a glare "no fair! Your faster than us!" Idina cried, stomping her foot in a cute, yet childish manner

Kelly smiled and shook her head. Idina was always like that, but she didn't mind. She loved her.

Kelly had honestly been excited when she heard her Aunt was pregnant. Though she hadn't been old enough to fully understand, she did like the idea of having a baby brother or sister; which turned out to be both. Despite only having Joseph as a father in common, Kelly got along quite well with her half siblings. Whenever they were together, there was really no stopping them, though Kelly was always doing her best to be nice to them, because they were much younger than she was. After only having her uncles as playmate, Kelly was quite glad to have other kids that she could play with, even if thy were much younger than she was. But that was family.

Speaking of family, Flynn and Kristen the other two of the children that could be running around were currently racing having run without need to worry about being chased. Though they could have been easily playing tag with their cousins, these two were a little more competitive, preferring to race just to see who would win. So far, Flynn was winning. But of course being Anna's daughter, Kristen was never one to be outdone. Despite her best efforts though, she never seemed to be able to beat Flynn. Kristoff and Eugene usually bet on there races (just to bribe the kids with candy)

Kelly laughed, taking her sibling's hands, "come on, and lets see what Kristen and Flynn are up to." She led them to the other two children, who were currently just lying under a tree, exhausted after all of the racing they had done. "Hey guys!" Kristen said Flynn just waved.

Kelly laughed, "you look all tired out!"

They all laughed. Truth be told they were all tired. Kai and Gerda were getting Dinner ready, but the kids, despite trying to pass the time were very hungry. They couldn't help it, they loved Kai and Gerda's cooking.

The adults were sitting at a table around each other, sipping on their favorite drinks, happily watching their kids (except Mandy, who was in Rapunzel's arms, gently being lulled to sleep) they enjoyed these moments. The moments where they could just rest and relax, letting the kids have there own fun (that is if they weren't getting into trouble, which happened quite often)

Joseph and Elsa had organized these little get together every year. It was one of their summer things when all the children where let out from school or the daycare, and they would all come together for a day and just enjoy themselves. True they did visit one another on many occasions (though with the distance it was usually in groups of twos Anna and Kristoff with Elsa and Joseph, while Rapunzel and Eugene visited Merida.

Despite the fact the group had gotten older and had their own lives, they never lost contact with one another. They just continued to go their separate ways in live, occasionally meeting at times.

Elsa took a sip of her drink, grinning madly "ah this is perfect isn't it? The children are happy and we are just enjoying ourselves."

Rapunzel laughed, gently rocking the infant in her arms "speak for yourself Elsa. Eugene and I are still on diaper duty" she said giving Eugene a grin Eugene shook his head "oh no Blondie. That's all you…"

Anna punched her brother in laws shoulder "Eugene, we all know that Rapunzel has you do the diapers. You can't say no to her puppy dog eyes." The girls giggled, while Eugene just groaned. Fighting them was impossible. But that's just how the girls in the family were.

Eugene turned to look at the 3 year old toddlers in the playpen. John and Zach were currently playing with stuffed animals, completely oblivious to the conversation that was going on in front of them. Eugene gave a laugh "boys, remember this right here. Girls are crazy. He said. Rapunzel cleared her throat, giving her husband a death glare. Eugene just shook his head. True he was scared of his wife, but she wasn't going to hurt him. Not yet anyway.

Anna stared at her son, before quickly running over "Jonathan Adgar Bjorgman, don't you eat that!" John had a habit of biting things, but he could also swallow them just as quickly. She picked up the toddler, taking the animal sleeve out of his mouth. She put him down "there you go, have fun!" she said, returning to the table, giggling like mad

Everyone laughed along with her. They never did have a dull moment whenever they were all together. It was probably the main reason that they loved meeting each other like this so much.

Kai and Gerda exited the house, taking in the noise that they had been hearing from inside. They smiled looking at the children and grand children. The past few years had been kind on them all. Everyone was happy and healthy as they should have been.

They quickly cleared their throats gathering the attention of the adults that were sitting on the patio. "Excuse me, Elsa, but dinner is ready" Gerda said. Elsa smiled, setting down her glass, before standing up. She turned around and called to the kids "boys! Girls! Dinners ready!" she called.

Kelly and the other children looked up, before racing up to the house, Kelly being the fastest managed to reach the house first speeding inside, quickly followed by her twin siblings. The five year olds were last, and they too rushed inside. Kai and Gerda chuckled, before heading inside, wanting to make sure the children didn't hurt themselves.

Merida stood up giving Joseph and Elsa a smile, before going inside. Kristoff and Anna stood up, with Kristoff taking John from the playpen, walking inside with Anna. Flynn grabbed Zach and with Rapunzel and Mandy followed.

Joseph looked over at Elsa. She was smiling that incredible smile that she still wore eight long years after they had met. She was still so beautiful. Now, seven years later, they were still happily married with children of their own. He couldn't have asked for a better wife, or mother of his children.

Elsa looked at Joseph, who was still wearing that sly grin the same as he had eight years ago. Back then she never would have imagined that she would have married him. But he opened her heart and together they had a family. He was older and wiser than she had initially believed him to be. She couldn't have asked for a better husband, or father of her children.

Together they stood up taking each other's hands. Their wedding wings touched. They never took them off. It was a symbol of their love. They had promised to spend the rest of their lives together. They were never going to break that promise.

Silently, they walked back into the house. Where their family was waiting for them.

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**If your itching for more Frozen stories by me, check out Frozen: Collision.**

**Farewell, Folks! Read on!**


	39. NOTE

**Hello folks its been a while hasn't it? Recently I have been reading this fanfic and an idea occurred to me. I've been thinking out ideas for a prequel fic set around Rapunzel and Merida times in college that may spin off into future fanfics. Would anyone be interested in reading such a fanfic?Pm or review your responses and I may start playing it out in the future.**


	40. READ

**Hi everyone. I've been thinking lately, I want to do something different after finishing Frozen Judgment. So I am here to say that if you are interested in seeing a prequel to this fic, feel free to vote on the poll on my profile as this is one of the three candidates for a story I will work on next. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. **


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